My Adopt Magazine - Spring 2024

ALL

Choose our digital magazine instead –easy to read on your device, wherever you go. Our online mag is no print, no post, low carbon and max support for your adopted animal! To help save the planet email info@bornfree.org.uk or call 01403 240170.

GO GREEN!

Gopal the Tiger Springer the Orca

@bornfreefoundation

WELCOME TO BORN FREE

Thanks to people like you, our charity is devoted to wild animal care and conservation. Together, we make the world a kinder, better place. Like to get even more involved in our Born Free family? Visit bornfree.org.uk and join us on social media:

THANK YOU FOR ADOPTING!

As a Born Free adopter, you play a vital role and I’m so happy to bring you the latest on the beautiful animal you help look after. Whether you adopt a precious individual in a sanctuary, or an entire fabulous family in the wild, your support is key!

I hope you enjoy being part of our global network of people passionate about the wild. Thanks for helping transform lives in 2024! This is actually a very special year and marks our charity’s 40th anniversary. That’s four decades of wild animal care and conservation. Get even more involved and visit bornfree.org.uk/40-ways for 40 easy ways to help wildlife thrive.

Thank you for all you do help wild animals in need and species under threat. Together, we make a great team! Together, we bring hope.

Will Travers OBE Executive President

bornfreefoundation

bornfreefoundation

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None of our rescued animals in permanent care are allowed to breed; we vasectomise males or spay/give hormone implants to females. We do not want to add to captive populations, plus sanctuary space is in short supply, so we keep these precious spaces for animals most needing rescue.

Orphan bear rescue

Sadly, because of the current political situation we are unable to send funds to our friends at Orphan Bear Rescue Centre, in Russia, at the moment. We will keep you updated.

LATEST NEWS

KYRIAKOS’ STORY

Home today: Lifetime care in a spacious beech forest enclosure

Background: Rescued from Kastoria in northern Greece as a four-monthold, wild-born cub, with his twin brother Manolis, when their mother was killed

Arrived at sanctuary: 2004

Age today: 20

Which is the biggest bear?

POLAR BEAR

BROWN BEAR

AMERICAN BLACK BEAR

MOON BEAR

SPECTACLED BEAR

GIANT PANDA

650KG

200KG

190KG

170KG

150KG

130KG

110KG SLOTH BEAR

SUN BEAR

How remarkable that it’s now 20 years since Kyriakos was rescued as a tiny bear cub, with his brother Manolis, by a kindly shepherd. Over the years, the pair have grown into two enormous, strong and confident bears.

Before Christmas, Kyriakos was busy preparing himself for his winter sleep. He carefully collected leaves, straw and branches for his winter den, although noticeably became increasingly inactive on chillier days. Then, on the first day of winter snow, he became almost cub-like, and was out playing –rolling around and diving in his halffrozen lake. We made sure he and all our rescued bears were given bigger amounts of food – nuts, fish, eggs and fruit – to help them gain weight before their winter sleep. Kyriakos’ favourite treat during this season was bread and honey and he always seemed hungry, despite the copious amounts of food he consumed daily!

As well as our sanctuary, Arcturos is also very much involved in the protection of mountain ecosystems and biodiversity. We rely on the support of the public which is why your adoption is so important. Thank you for helping provide Kyriakos with lifetime care, food, veterinary support, enrichment and anything else he might need!

Melina Avgerinou

Animal Rescue and Care Manager Arcturos

50KG

KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

THEIR STORY

Home: Living wild in the mountain rainforests of a vast 2,300mi2 park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Family: A population of rare gorillas, including a large family of females and offspring, defended by Bonane, a mighty young silverback male

Background: Since 2000 Born Free has supported a team of rangers who risk their lives to keep these gorillas safe from poachers

LATEST NEWS

Through your generous support, we have continued monitoring the gorilla families in Kahuzi-Biega’s highlands. Daily monitoring enhances our understanding of group dynamics and allows us to respond to injuries and illnesses to ensure the protection of this Critically Endangered species.

We are thrilled to announce four births in recent months: three in the silverback Kabare’s family and one in the Mufanzala 1 group. All of the newborns are doing well. But, sadly, in October 2023, a baby gorilla, in the silverback Mpungwe’s family, was seen with a wire snare on his hand. The injury was serious and, despite our best efforts, the baby lost his arm. But, we are happy to report he is recovering well and we will continue to monitor the youngster as he learns to navigate life.

Between July and December, we recorded several interactions between ‘habituated’ (used to human presence) and non-habituated gorilla groups. These tend to be seasonal, driven by the availability of food – groups are more likely to compete for resources in the dry season. During this time, Bonane’s group experienced both peaceful and more antagonistic interactions. Sadly, in October, an interaction between Bonane and a wild male resulted in him losing one of his females and reducing his group to ten individuals.

Sarah Brook Programme Manager Kahuzi-Biega National Park

GUARDIANS OF DJA

Your adoption now supports the conservation of western lowland gorillas in Dja Biosphere Reserve, in Cameroon, as well. Our major new project was set up in 2022 to protect gorillas (and chimpanzees!) in this vast forested area, and help these rare apes peacefully coexist with local people. We’ll be in touch with more details or visit bornfree.org.uk/ field-conservation/gorillas to find out more.

© Lina Adolphine Nturubika/Gorilla Doctors

HOW MANY LIONS?

57 25 £200,000 per year

Since we began, Born Free has transformed the lives of 57 lions, rescued from zoos, circuses and the pet trade. Today, we care for 25 lions, at four sanctuaries, costing around £200,000 every year. But, two more are on their way…!

BORN FREE’S SANCTUARY SHAMWARI

PRIVATE GAME RESERVE

SOUTH AFRICA

KING’S STORY

Home today: Lifetime care in a spacious enclosure with companion Thea

Background: Rescued from illegal pet trade in France, 2017

Arrived at Shamwari: July 2018

Age today: Six years

LATEST NEWS

Now well over six years old, King is our resident gentle giant! However, he has the most fearsome roar, and frequently scent marks his territory to warn our other rescued big cats of his presence.

As a young adult lion in his prime, King is an impressive individual but, has retained the playful personality of his younger self. He can often be seen engaging his partner Thea – also rescued from the pet trade in France – in bouts of play. Honing his wild instincts, King will mischievously ‘stalk’ Thea, when she has no idea he’s close. Hiding in their enclosure’s dense foliage, he waits until she is near and then charges out, pouncing and grabbing playfully at her hind legs.

King and Thea have an incredible bond and we often see them affectionately rubbing heads and grooming each other. It’s been summer here in South Africa and, as all big cats can do, King spends a great deal of time resting and sleeping. During warmer periods of the day, he can be found basking in the sun on his raised platform. Food is very important and he guards his meals fiercely! Thea understands and keeps a respectful distance whenever King is eating. Thanks for helping care for him!

Martin Miritiawo Animal Care Supervisor

Remember Tsar & Jamil?

These two young lions were rescued from Ukraine and will soon join our rescued pride at Shamwari. Thanks to donations from supporters, we’ve been busy completing the complex plans and paperwork needed to move the brothers to South Africa. Keep an eye on bornfree.org.uk for the latest news!

AMBOSELI

NATIONAL PARK KENYA

AMBOSELI

NATIONAL PARK KENYA

THEIR STORY

Home: Wild in Amboseli, a 150 square mile park at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro

Family: Dozens of members including sub-group led by Edwina (born in 1982), granddaughter to Echo, the matriarch star of BBC’s Echo of the Elephants

Background: Amboseli is renowned for its 1,300 elephant population, studied by Amboseli Trust for Elephants since 1972, supported by Born Free since 1992

ELEPHANTS ON THE UP

Since our work to fight the ivory trade and protect wild elephants began in 1989, numbers of elephants in Kenya have increased by 125%, from 16,000 to over 36,000 today.

LATEST NEWS

The return of the EB Elephant Family last June brought joy, with three new members –a healthy female calf for Edwina’s daughter Elana, a male born to her aunt Ebony, and a female for her aunt Eliot. The successful and extended EB family forms sub-groups, with Ebony and Eliot in the portion led by their sister Enid – Edwina’s mother, while Edwina’s portion contains her daughters: Elaine, Europa and Elana, together with their calves.

Transitioning into the dry season, the availability of food became scarcer, but the EBs exhibited incredible adaptability. They were frequently spotted in the swamps, making the most of lush vegetation that is their lifeline during dry weather. November saw the return of the heavy rains. Elephants come together or split apart depending on environmental conditions and our long-term research has revealed that ‘cohesiveness’ (how much time individuals spend together) is much higher during wet seasons, when food is plentiful.

We are hugely grateful for your continued support of Edwina’s group. Amboseli is a ‘boom-bust ecosystem’, dramatically changing between dry and wet months. Your support remains integral to our mission, ensuring a harmonious coexistence between elephants and people in a place where the elephants’ future is reliant on tolerance with local communities. We look forward to sharing more updates and appreciate your unwavering partnership.

Manor

Tal

Project Manager, Amboseli Trust for Elephants

ENSESSA KOTTEH

RESCUE CENTRE ETHIOPIA

THEIR STORY

Home today: Spacious natural enclosures with undergrowth to explore and room to run

Background: Victims of the illegal pet trade and were stolen from the wild as cubs

Arrived at Ensessa Kotteh: 2011 to 2023

Age today: One to thirteen years

Your Cheetahs:

Girls Rescued

Fasika Apr 23

Sisay (aka Jijiga) Dec 21

Konjo (aka Tamu) Apr 15

Choa (aka Nura) Apr 15

Boys Rescued

Ramadan Apr 23

Dima June 22

Dehar Jan 22

Barega (aka Coro) Mar 20

Timkat Jan 11

LATEST NEWS

We are now in the dry season in Ethiopia and the lush green grass has turned brown, but our resident cheetahs are noticeably enjoying the full warmth of the sun. With your support, we’re happy to see Fasika and Ramadan, our two newest cheetah residents, have settled in very well since their rescue last year. The playful youngsters are growing quickly and continue to enjoy one another’s company.

Meanwhile, Dehar and Jijiga, who arrived separately over the Christmas/New Year period a year ago, are slowly being introduced to each other in the hope they can one day share a living space. Cheetahs are naturally fairly solitary animals but males – usually litter mates –can form coalitions in the wild, while rescued cheetahs do benefit from a companion in captive situations.

As you can imagine, introducing two unrelated individuals to one another is a slow and lengthy process. But, in recent months, Dima has been successfully introduced to males Coro and Timkat, after a long period of living in neighbouring enclosures and slow introductions. After just two months, the three cheetahs are living together full time and separated only for feeding. Fantastic news!

HOW MANY CHEETAH?

Since we began, Born Free has rescued 24 cheetahs, most from the wild pet trade. We currently care for nine, costing £10,000 each, so a total of £90,000 each year. Our work continues to end the cruel trade.

Bereket Girma Head of Centre

BANNERGHATTA TIGER SANCTUARY INDIA

GOPAL’S STORY

Home today: Lifetime care in a spacious forest enclosure

Background: Born in the wild but captured when he came into conflict with people by preying on cattle and goats

Arrived at sanctuary: 2014

Age today: 14

GOPAL THE TIGER

HOW MANY TIGERS?

Since our tiger conservation work began in India in 2004, numbers have increased by 160% to 3,682 tigers. India is now home to 75% of the world’s wild tiger population.

Gopal is a ‘Royal Bengal’ tiger, one of six tiger subspecies and India’s national animal. These adaptable tigers thrive in diverse habitats, from Himalayan foothills to central Indian forests and the expansive Sundarbans – the world’s largest mangrove forest.

With your help, Gopal has been under our care for a decade and enjoys a high quality of life and peaceful existence. He likes to hide amongst dense foliage and large bamboo clumps, before taking a long stroll or resting under thickets. His expansive habitat mirrors the wild, with a large diversity of tree, plant and grass species, allowing him to explore his own private forest.

Gopal still displays wild behaviours and likes to engage in games using tall grass and dense foliage to camouflage himself. He is often seen chasing some unsuspecting peafowl, egrets and grey jungle fowl, who take off squawking in irritation at Gopal’s attempt at a playful ambush!

Embracing a tiger’s natural affinity for water, Gopal finds cooling relief in his pool and is particularly enthusiastic when coconuts are added to play with, as he takes a leisurely dip. Gopal has a shy nature and only uses the pool when his caregivers are not around, so we’ve installed remote cameras to study his behaviour.

Sandhi Priya Deputy Director, Corporate & Philanthropic Partnership, Wildlife SOS

Keep up to date with all our animals...

THEIR STORY

Home: Rhino Sanctuary within Meru

Family: A population of 91 white and 32 black rhinos, protected by rangers

Background: After a poaching epidemic in the 1980s, Born Free has been helping Kenya Wildlife Service since 2014 to restore Meru’s wildlife, including rhino, to its former abundance

RHINOS ON THE UP!

Since our rhino conservation work began in Kenya in 2014, numbers have increased by 72%, from 1,047 rhinos 10 years ago, to 1,811 (938 black and 873 white) today.

LATEST NEWS

We are delighted to share with you the latest news about Tana, one of our precious rhinos in Meru Rhino Sanctuary, who has been a star in contributing to the rhino population in the park. Tana is a devoted mother who protects her calves and ensures their survival. So far, she has given birth to six calves, all sired by Gakuya, a dominant male who often accompanies her in the Mururi swamp area.

The rainy season brought plenty of fodder for Tana and the rest of the white and black rhinos in the sanctuary. One cool afternoon, we took a drive around the Rhino Sanctuary and were lucky to spot Tana with one of her calves, who has grown bigger and healthier since we last saw them. They were grazing near the Mururi swamp, where they had been wallowing in the mud earlier that day. Wallowing helps rhinos cool off and protect their skin from insects and sun. They looked very happy and relaxed in the peaceful environment where they are thriving, without any threat of poachers.

Thanks to your support, rhino rangers continue to be on alert in guarding the rhinos and we continue to commit our resources to ensuring that our collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service to protect the rhinos continues for years to come. Your adoption makes a significant difference to the lives of these magnificent animals, and we are grateful for your generosity and compassion.

Newton Simiyu Programme Manager, Saving Meru’s Giants Born Free

72% KENYA

LATEST NEWS

Timtom is the most mischievous of the soft-release programme residents at Camp Buluh, where she is developing the vital skills of climbing, foraging, and nest-building. Every day she is taken by canoe to the forest across the river to practice her forest skills, sometimes being left for several days, but always under the watchful eye of field staff.

Unfortunately, as you may know, Timtom seems to love being on the ground, unusual for orangutans. Her love for splashing in puddles and coating herself in mud makes encouraging her to climb more a challenge.

Timtom and her young campmate Sinta enjoy playing together in the water, usually for hours! Sinta is our star nest builder and we thought she would encourage Timtom to build a nest but, so far, she is yet to be seen bending twigs and leaves to craft one.

When left in the forest overnight, Timtom chooses to sleep on tree branches or in old nests created by other orangutans – not ideal when wild orangutans must build a new nest every night! Timtom’s rehabilitation still has a little way to go… With your help, she can continue to gradually master the essential skills for her release and to be able to live an independent life in the wild. We all hope she learns to make a nest very soon!

Ashley Leiman Director, Orangutan Foundation

CAMP BULUH RELEASE CAMP LAMANDAU WILDLIFE RESERVE INDONESIA,

BORNEO

TIMTOM’S STORY

Home today: Gradually preparing for life in the wild at Camp Buluh

Background: Taken from her wild mother as a baby and kept illegally as a pet

Rescued: January 2016, aged nine months

Age today: Eight years

SAVING ORANGUTANS

Lamandau is home to over 600 wild orangutans, including two new babies born last year – Arul and Jojo. Jojo’s mother Jonson returned to the wild as part of the ‘soft-release programme’ in 2012 – rehabilitation really works!

© Orangutan Foundation

SANGHA PANGOLIN PROJECT

SANGHA LODGE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC THEIR STORY

Home today: The tropical forests of southwest Central African Republic, close to the Sangha river

Background: Orphaned and injured pangolins are rescued and treated within a small hospital funded by Born Free

Rescued: Since 2013, more than 100 pangolins have been cared for and released, monitored by local Ba’aka tribespeople. Sangha Pangolin Project is also devoted to education and conservation

LATEST NEWS

Last time, we shared the wonderful news that Nguindolo (also known as Epika), the white-bellied pangolin orphan rescued last year, had become independent. Our care team are so happy he can now live a wild life. Since his release, we have enjoyed video footage of him climbing trees and foraging on a log, plus images on a thermoscope camera.

Nguindolo is now just over a year old and our sightings of him have reduced. He has grown up in this area so knows the feeding places and dens to sleep in. No doubt like Pangy, and all the other young pangolins we have raised, released and monitored with your help, he will gradually move further away, returning infrequently, if at all.

We recently had two interesting rescues. The first was a white bellied pangolin found by fisherman upriver from our lodge. The river was flooding, and the young pangolin was found swimming away from driver ants* on the riverbank. After a brief period of recuperation, we released him not far from our lodge. The second was a vermiculated fish owl, found hanging on fishing line from a branch over the river, a hook in his wing. Fortunately, we were able to remove the hook at our clinic and treat the wound. By dawn the next morning he was ready to fly away.

Tamar Cassidy Co-Founder & Head of Animal Care Sangha Pangolin Project

DID YOU KNOW?

Pangolins are ancient animals, unchanged for 70 million years and the only mammal with scales. The word pangolin comes from ‘penggulung’, the Malay word for roller. A single pangolin can eat 70 million insects each year. There are eight species, which vary in size from 30cm to one metre.

Enjoy footage of Nguindolo exploring the wild: visit bit.ly/nguindolo

*A type of army ant with powerful jaws, which form vast, marching columns in search of food – mostly insects and earthworms, but also small animals.

THEIR STORY

Home: Living wild in Meru, 220 miles northeast of Nairobi

Family: Several adult females, plus sub-adults and cubs

Background: One of Meru’s oldest lion families, named after the lioness star of Born Free, returned to the wild by George and Joy Adamson in 1958

HOW MANY LIONS?

Since our lion conservation work began in Kenya in 2010, numbers have increased by 25% to 2,500 lions. This includes 92 adults and cubs in our Meru database.

With your support, the success story of Elsa’s Pride in Meru National Park, Kenya continues. Several cubs born in 2022 recently reached their one-year birthday and we all celebrated! Their first year is the most perilous period in the life of a lion, with only about half of cubs surviving. So, these youngsters reaching this crucial age exhibits the remarkable success of Elsa’s Pride in raising cubs.

Your adoption of Elsa’s Pride helps our team monitor the pride members. We gather critical data on each individual lion, their movement patterns and interactions with other prides within Meru. We also ensure any incidences of injuries or poor health receive immediate attention from the resident Kenya Wildlife Service vet. You’ll be happy to hear that Cheri, a member of Elsa’s Pride treated for injuries in July 2023, has now fully recovered. She is in very good health and getting along well with the rest of the pride.

‘Citizen science’ is emerging as an important initiative in conservation, encouraging members of the public to get involved. We work closely with driver guides in local safari lodges to receive sightings of Elsa’s Pride and other lions. The information provided by these guides greatly contributes to our research and understanding of the lions of Meru.

Michael Mugo Programme Manager Pride of Meru Born Free

25%

KENYA

© Will Burrard-Lucas

LATEST NEWS

THEIR STORY

Home: Kenya is a vital home for rare, reticulated giraffes and Born Free is in action to save them

Family: Around 1,400 live in Meru

Background: Just 16,000 wild reticulated giraffe remain, with 8.45% of these in Meru, so this population is vital

SAVING GIRAFFES

Since 2021, we have identified 317 of Meru’s giraffes by their unique coat patterns, adding each one to our ID database. Last year, over a six-month period, our Twiga Team conducted 115 foot patrols, covering 260 miles. They found and removed 434 deadly snares.

Your support of Meru’s reticulated giraffe has become a beacon of hope for this Endangered subspecies. Involving local people with conservation is playing a pivotal role in safeguarding habitats, making a tangible difference to giraffe survival. So, your adoption isn’t just symbolic, it’s a concrete step towards ensuring the wellbeing of these animals and their ecosystems!

On a personal level, each giraffe possesses a unique story. From birth to maturity, they display distinct personalities, forming bonds with their herd mates and exhibiting endearing quirks. One of the most significant threats they face are illegal wire snares – set to catch wild animals for food. Giraffe, with their long, elegant legs, are particularly at risk from these cruel and painful traps. Your adoption supports a team of locally employed rangers, the Twiga* team, to conduct patrols and remove an incredible 434 snares in recent months (see below).

Our ultimate goal for giraffe conservation in Meru is to secure their habitat, promote sustainable co-existence – where people and giraffes can live alongside each other without conflict, and foster a future where these graceful giants continue to roam freely. With your support, our endeavour to protect giraffes underscores our commitment to preserve biodiversity and help maintain the delicate equilibrium of our planet’s ecosystems.

Francis Kago

Project Officer,

Saving Meru’s Giants, Born Free *Twiga means giraffe in Swahili

THEIR STORY

Home today: Lifetime care in their own spacious bush enclosures

Background: Rescued from a failed zoo in South Africa in 2020

Age today: Mowgli five and Zeiss ten

BORN FREE’S SANCTUARY SHAMWARI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE SOUTH AFRICA

LATEST NEWS

With your help, Zeiss is doing well and gaining confidence. He loves to hide in the dense undergrowth so, when he allows himself to be seen, this is a real treat! These past few weeks he’s been surprising us a lot, popping out unexpectedly and strolling around. In recent weeks, we’ve been monitoring him at night and he’s noticeably more curious about his neighbours, King and Thea (page 8). Zeiss likes to walk close by when these rescued lions are lying close to the fence line.

Meanwhile, we rarely see shy Mowgli directly but, this is understandable – he was granted little privacy at the zoo and can now choose to be seen. To monitor his health and behaviour, but not compromise his privacy, we have a network of motion sensor cameras around his enclosure which take video or photos whenever he passes by.

The footage shows he appears relaxed and contented, taking a stroll during dawn and dusk hours, basking in the early morning sunlight or having a good wash. He has even been seen frolicking in the long grass! You can enjoy footage of Mowgli at bit.ly/mowgli-footage but, in the meantime, we are so happy to give him the space and privacy he deserves.

Glen Vena Animal Care Manager

FAREWELL DEAR SAMI

Last November, with great sadness, we said goodbye to our beloved leopard Sami, cared for at Shamwari for 22 years. In 2001, Sami was found motherless in a desert in Sudan, with his brother and sister. The triplets enjoyed many years at our sanctuary, until Alam and Nimira’s sad deaths in 2017. We are devastated to now lose Sami but, will forever hold him and his siblings in our hearts.

SPRINGER’S STORY

Home: Living wild as part of British Columbia’s Northern Resident population monitored by OrcaLab, which has studied orca since 1970 and has been supported by Born Free since 1994

Family: 24-year-old Springer gave birth to Spirit in 2013 and Storm in 2017

Background: In 2002, Springer’s mother Sutlej died and she became lost near Seattle, USA. Identified by her unique calls, she was taken 250 miles by boat back to her wild family, the A4 pod, near OrcaLab

HANSON ISLAND JOHNSTONE STRAIT CANADA

HELP STOP SUFFERING

Born Free is working to end the exploitation of captive dolphins and whales for human entertainment. Sadly, at least 55 orca are held in captivity – living deprived, unhappy lives in concrete tanks. Please pledge never to visit a captive marine park.

LATEST NEWS

Springer is undoubtedly the bestknown orca in British Columbia. Her amazing story of being rescued and returned to her community has been the subject of many films and books. She was less than two years old when her mother died, and she became lost. By the best efforts of many people, Born Free being essential, she was able to grow up within her community.

Springer’s fame is such that wherever she and her youngsters Spirit and Storm are seen, there is excitement. Her distinctive saddle patch on her back makes her instantly recognisable and 2023 was no different. She was seen on the north and central coasts several times in summer months.

Springer and her babies all appeared in good health – Spirit is now 10 years old, Storm six. Two years ago, Storm, although energetic, looked a little thin. By last year, we were happy to hear Storm looked fine.

We did not personally see Springer in 2023, which was disappointing. Perhaps finding sufficient food and company – members of all three Northern Resident clans being around – kept her and her little ones satisfied and she elected to skip the longer journey south to OrcaLab. But, thanks to these reports, we, and we hope you too, can be content knowing your adopted family is doing well.

Helena Symonds and Dr Paul Spong Co-Directors, OrcaLab

WE LOOK AFTER YOUR ADOPTED ANIMALS!

Meet some of the dedicated people devoted to your animal’s care.

Elephant Family

“We are very grateful for Born Free’s enduring support. Your elephant adoption, as part of a community of supporters, truly makes a difference for wild elephants in Amboseli.”

Tal Manor

On behalf of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants team, Kenya

Gorilla Family

Timtom the Orangutan

“Timtom is a lively, energetic orangutan who is making the most of her life in the soft-release programme. She is learning forest skills she will need for her independent life in the wild – all possible thanks to the generous support of Born Free adopters.”

Ashley Leiman OBE Founder, Orangutan Foundation, Borneo

“With support from Born Free, our network of Great Ape Guardians has resulted in a reduction of poaching. This helps to protect populations of gorillas and other endangered animals from persecution, contributing to their long-term survival.”

Donald Mbohli

Born Free’s Guardians of Dja programme, Cameroon

Giraffe Family

“I do desnaring work to save giraffes from deadly snares, set by poachers to kill innocent animals. We also do monitoring to know the population of giraffes (and elephants!) and have programmes to educate kids about conservation.”

Jacqueline Ntinyari

Twiga

Team

Ranger, Meru National Park, Kenya