lion

Here comes Ruben’s summer!

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Yes, it’s officially summer in South Africa and Ruben is soaking up the sun and enjoying his first ever ice lolly! It’s another form of enrichment and stimulation for Ruben, and being made from glucose and electrolyte solution mixed with blood, these are cooling and helping Ruben’s hydration.

You can still be ‘Ruben Cool’ by purchasing his own special apparel raising funds for his lifelong care, including the veterinary treatment needed due to his years of confinement in a tiny zoo cell in Armenia. Order here

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Animals need special care

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The injuries inflicted on circus survivors like Lupe, Sasha lioness, and Simba can follow them for life and they need special care at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.

Tigress Lupe suffers seizures due to malnutrition and inbreeding in a circus in Guatemala. Our team gives her medications each day, and she is monitored in case of any problems.

Sasha suffered a brutal declawing operation in a Guatemalan circus, which led to cancer and spreading up her leg. In our care, she had ground-breaking surgery removing diseased bone and replacing it with a titanium implant. She is now pain free but years painfully limping in the circus saw her tendons shorten and now our team’s priority these days is giving Sasha physiotherapy with different toys and treats encouraging her to use her titanium leg.

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Upcycled enrichment is a win-win

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ReyA is clearly enjoying his hay-filled coffee bag enrichment at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Our thanks to Highland Coffee Roastery for donating their empty coffee bags so that we can turn them into giant enrichment bags filled with hay and various scents the lions and tigers love. Although they have huge enclosures where they can chase, play, stalk the local wildlife, this kind of enrichment adds extra interest and variety and maintains their relationships with their carers. Remember how much fun they had with their Halloween pumpkins? You can still sponsor a pumpkin today, and part of it will go towards a day’s care for a lion or tiger. Let’s see if we can give them more pumpkins throughout the rest of the year. Sponsor a pumpkin

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Good morning from Leo

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The sun is up and elderly Leo greets the day. Officially Leo is 21 years old in January, although many of us suspect he was much older than eleven when ADI rescued him from a circus in Peru. However old he is, he is the father of our pride and the most senior lion at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. These days, Leo is showing his age and like many elderly cats getting thinner, so each day the ADIWS team hand feed him with tongs to ensure he gets all of his food, medications and supplements. He sleeps nesting in hay in his house or one of his platform dens – note the bits of hay in his mane in this picture – and in the mornings potters out into the 3.75 acre (152,460sqft) Abbey Habitat. He’s currently enjoying the warm Spring weather and sunshine and usually settles by or under the trees but is still found occasionally at the far end of the habitat. We’ve added extra water points to the habitat so that he always has water nearby and if we see a big rain storm coming we will bring Leo inside to keep him dry. It’s all a long, long way from that small, bare circus cage he once lived in. Welcome to another day in paradise Leo.

Ruben the cover star

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Everyone knows that Ruben is a star, but now he’s also the cover star of the ADI 2024 Animal Rescue Calendar and our new greeting cards – the perfect way to spread cheer this holiday season! He was rescued from years of isolation and confinement in a private zoo in Armenia that had shut down, all animals removed except him. For six lonely years, Ruben had not heard another lion, and fell silent. He arrived at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in August with difficulties walking and keeping his balance. The world watched as he wobbled out of his travel crate in his Keith’s Happiness Habitat and immediately played with his giant catnip punchbag. Now Ruben savors every bit of his new life at ADIWS, finding his voice again with his lion neighbors, enjoying catnip showers and all. His catnip-sprinkled mane in this calendar photo sums it up best.

2023 was certainly Ruben’s year…what will 2024 bring for this magnificent old warrior? Order your 2024 calendar today to support Ruben and our other rescued animals. Order US $ | UK £

Order your Ruben cards (packs of ten with envelopes), featuring his story of hope, resilience, and perseverance – the perfect message for the holidays. Order greeting cards US $ | UK £

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Ruben found his voice

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This week Ruben found his voice. On Monday, there was something different about the sound when Simba and Rey were roaring and sure enough, Ruben was joining in with them! We are trying to get footage of him roaring with the other boys, but so far, by the time we get there, he’s stopped. He’s also announcing himself to everyone throughout the day, and we caught the video here – Ruben’s first real roar caught on camera! Turn the volume up, because for everyone who has followed him from his lonely life in Armenia to South Africa, this is a huge landmark. He is throwing himself into his roaring with such gusto, he wobbles but there’s no falling down for this loud, proud lion!

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Ruben’s happy Halloween

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It’s our magnificent old warrior’s very first Halloween celebration at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. What must he think of all the new scents, textures, and tastes after years of deprivation in his tiny zoo cell in Armenia? He’s liked every treat put before him, including pumpkins and he loved getting these first Halloween pumpkins this weekend. Thank you to everyone who has been sponsoring pumpkins for Ruben and our other rescued big cats – you’ve also helped contribute to their care.

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Make Ruben’s first Halloween extra special

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Will you give Ruben and the other lions and tigers at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary a Halloween treat? This year, when you sponsor a pumpkin, part of it will go towards caring for our rescued big cats. We have three options: Individual pumpkins; ‘Golden pumpkins’ that fund a full day’s care as well; and ‘One-for-all’ a pumpkin for every lion and tiger (links in comments). Ruben has shown he loves all the enrichment he gets including his pumpkins so he’s going to love Halloween and we hope all the other cats will too. Any extra raised will go towards enrichment for the rest of the year.

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Scarc on a pumpkin hunt

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Scarc sniffs around Tohir Habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary and finds a pumpkin. Thank you to everyone who has been sponsoring these Halloween treats – watch out for the lions and tigers having Halloween fun all of this week.

Scarc was just a cub when we rescued him from a circus in Peru but has grown into a magnificent lion in our care. This year our Halloween pumpkin appeal contributes a pumpkin and to the care needed to keep Scarc healthy and strong.

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