Ruben goes wild with his first catnip bag! We wondered what Ruben would do as he took his first steps on African soil. It turned out he just wanted to play, and play, and play.
Six years of emptiness and loneliness ended as he walked to his giant catnip punchbag. Now, he has the company of his own kind living nearby, he walks on grass, bakes himself under the African sun in his Keith’s Happiness Habitat. And he is not afraid to show his inner kitten!
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Max and Stripes check out their new ball and tire swing in their Kakato by April Fong Habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary – our thanks to Kunduchi Pet Products for donating the catnip.
Together with their family, these brothers were rescued from a circus in Guatemala when they were just six months old. This is why, having enjoyed a proper diet under our care, they have grown into huge, powerful boys.
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Ruben looks ready to join defending champions South Africa as the tournament kicks off in France. After shredding his giant Kunduchi Pet Products punchbags, today we gave him this ‘rugby ball’ and he proudly strode around his camp with it at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa.
Ruben recently arrived from a zoo in Armenia, where he was alone in a tiny cage and developed difficulty walking due to poor care and nutrition. He has stunned people with his determination to stay on his feet and keep moving, and is now able to do a full circuit of his camp without falling. Enrichment like his ‘rugby ball’ is a vital part of his rehabilitation. It’s also essential for all of the 32 rescued lions and tigers at the sanctuary. You can help by donating toward more enrichment. Donate US $ | Donate UK £
His mane full of catnip and hay, Ruben sleeps next to one of the catnip punchbags he has shredded. Eventually, he destroyed it completely. It’s just over a week since the battered old warrior arrived at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary from Armenia. He has felt grass beneath his feet for the first time, the African sun on his back, heard the voices of his own kind for the first time in six years and roared back. After he stepped from his ADI travel crate he headed straight to the catnip bag and played – his first toy. He fell asleep with his prize. He is more playful than we could have imagined when we saw him in Armenia. He plays with pumpkins, catnip sacks and boxes. His movement has improved, and we have huge hopes over time. Keep dreaming Ruben, your dreams may come true.
To help care for Ruben: Donate UK £ | Donate US $
Who knew lions LOVE watermelons! And what better time to prove it than today, 3 August, otherwise known as National Watermelon Day!
For Mahla, pictured, and our other rescued lions, getting their teeth into a juicy watermelon provides them with fun, stimulation and enrichment. It’s a far cry from the life of physical and mental deprivation they once endured in circuses.
You can help lions like Mahla continue to enjoy watermelons and other enrichments by adopting her or making a donation to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.
In many ways, big cats are much like oversized kittens. They certainly have a playful side and, as we’ve seen with our ADI Wildlife Sanctuary residents, they also enjoy toys, catnip and cardboard boxes, just like their very, VERY distant domestic cat cousins!
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This cardboard giraffe was no match for mighty Kesari, who demolished the enrichment in about one minute, even though he relished every second of it. Thanks to Kunduchi Pet Products for donating catnip which is used on enrichment like this – all vital for keeping our big cats physically and mentally healthy.
To donate toward more enrichment, which Kesari and the others love: Donate UK £ | Donate US $
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Gentle giant Kesari fills this little house!! We added A frames to the habitats at ADIWS as extra enrichment and shelter in addition to our big cats’ various platforms, houses and trees. Something new always attracts interest and you can see just how big Kesari is compared to the other lions as he fills the space.
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Could these recently reunited brothers, rescued from a circus in Guatemala, be any closer? Tomas and Kimba opted to sleep just outside of their new A frame at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (clearly, there is more than one way to enjoy it). These A frames made out of branches are really popular among our residents as they allow them to enjoy shade while still being able to see what’s going on in the world around them.
To help us build more A frames for the rest of our lions and tigers (UK £53 / US $66 / R1,200 each): Donate UK £ | Donate US $
Lioness Sasha makes the most of her new A frame at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. She has been spending most of her time relaxing and napping inside, as it provides just the right amount of shade while allowing her to see through.
It’s wonderful to see her comfortable and at peace – such a difference from her life in a Guatemalan circus, before ADI rescued her. A brutal declawing operation in the circus led to an infection that turned into cancer and spread to her leg. Thanks to groundbreaking surgery by Dr Caldwell, Sasha now has a titanium implant where the diseased bone once was. Nothing can get Sasha down now. She is living her best life.
To donate towards one (or more) A frames for the rest of our residents to enjoy (it costs UK £53 / US $66 / R1,200 each): Donate UK £ | Donate US $
ADI Wildlife Sanctuary 