Wild Life - Winter 2022

Welcome A WARM

FROM WILL TRAVERS OBE

Rain or shine, whatever the temperature, Born Free is where the action is! Our Year of the Lion has continued with loads of ways for you, your family and friends to become involved. My late father, Bill, would have been delighted so many of you have commemorated and celebrated his life by helping wild animals in need (page 8).

Inside this issue of Wild Life you’ll find my thoughtprovoking essay, written from inside the head of a trophy hunter trying to justify the unjustifiable (page 20). You’ll find news from our animal sanctuaries, and our conservation and education teams, plus our work for wild animal-friendly policies that deliver benefits to animals and communities without lethal exploitation.

As the holidays get closer, find the perfect gift in our refreshed online shop (page 36), or give the person you love an animal adoption to treasure (page 34). My dear Mum, Virginia, regularly gives them to her nearest and dearest!

These are unprecedented times – the world seems in constant turmoil. But, one thing you can rely on: with your help, my Born Free colleagues and I will do everything possible to protect and save our natural world. So, thank you for being part of our ‘Born Free Family’

Executive President will@bornfree.org.uk @willtravers

PS And, on a personal note, please look out for members of your community who may be struggling to make ends meet. A helping hand can make all the difference.

Beyond Trophy Hunting Discussion

6.30pm Thursday 15 December 2022

Royal Geographical Society London SW7 2AR

“I do hope you can join me at this major Born Free event in December,” Will Travers. Book your tickets for our public discussion at this prestigious venue – bornfree.org.uk/events/ beyond-trophy-hunting

Have You Heard?

ALL THE LATEST FROM BORN FREE

OUR MANE EVENT WAS A ROARING SUCCESS

Our first in-person gathering for three years raised over £95,000 for lions, as friends and supporters flocked to our Mane Event at Denbies Wine Estate near Dorking, in September. Hosted by Patrons Dan Richardson and Gaby Roslin, special guests included Sir Michael Morpurgo, lyricist Don Black and Sally Gunnell OBE, while Catherine Gillson and Glen Vena flew in from our sanctuary at Shamwari Reserve, in South Africa – who kindly sponsored the event.

Audiences enjoyed a West End Kids’ song and dance medley, celebrity auctioneer James Lewis hosted a spectacular auction and Will Travers OBE spoke passionately. But, the highlight was our very own lioness, Virginia McKenna OBE, reminding us why we’re proud to be part of Born Free’s family. “Seeing familiar faces, in person, was such a joy,” said our Head of Comms Amanda Poole-Connor. “As everyone enjoyed a glass of Denbies’ sparkling wine, old friendships were renewed and new ones formed.”

LAST CHANCE TO SEE WILD WINNERS

Our sensational Born Free Forever exhibit of 25 life-size lions, cast in bronze, has taken up residency at Edinburgh’s The Meadows, in the last leg of our year-long UK tour, ending January 2023. Created by globally-acclaimed artists Gillie and Marc, the dazzling collection has travelled 970 miles to raise funds and awareness. To invest in your own collectable masterpiece, visit bornfree.org.uk/ born-free-forever

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s prestigious McKenna-Travers Award for Compassionate Conservation, with Letícia Benavalli receiving top prize of £10,000 for her outstanding work to protect jaguars in Brazil. Over 6,500 of you voted in our People’s Choice category, and Getachew Assefa Takele was the resounding £5,000 winner for his lifesaving devotion to Ethiopian wolf conservation.

CLIMB FOR CONSERVATION

In October, our Olympic gold-medallist Patron, Sally Gunnell OBE, led a triumphant 13-strong team to climb Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain, and raise vital funds. “It’s the hardest thing I have ever done,” said Sally, “but I was so lucky to be part of this amazing group.” See page 9, plus our website for the full story.

© Mina Milanovic Photography

Sally and her husband Jon Bigg

Have You Heard?

NEW LIFE AT LAST

Remember Simao (also known as Simon), the orphan chimp in Guinea Bissau? An illegal wildlife trade victim, he and three other orphans now have the best new home with our Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection friends, thanks to your donations. “Simao, Fifi, Tze and Tita finally have the company of their own kind and will live their lives in large, forested enclosures,” said our acting Head of Rescue & Care Dr Andrea Donaldson.

TURTLE POWER: ONE YEAR ON

Did you wonder how intrepid loggerhead turtles, Genoveffa and Gavino, coped since swimming free off Sardinia’s coast, after years in a dreadful aquarium? “Their satellite tags show they’ve travelled thousands of miles,” said our Captivity Campaigns Info Coordinator, Sarah Jefferson. “Having long campaigned for their release, we’re so happy they’re doing well!” Follow the pair on our website and report captive suffering at bornfree.org.uk/raise-the-red-flag

UPDATE ON NOKU

What happened to the rare forest elephant calf, rescued in March with the help of our colleagues at ELRECO in Liberia, after her mother was likely poached? “Six months on, Noku is thriving,” explains Joseph Hedges from our Conservation team. “She’s growing rapidly and easily eats 50 banana pieces at a time, plus 50kg of milk powder per month!” Noku is learning about the forest on regular walks and, we hope, will return to the wild one day.

A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH?

Funded by you and grabbing national headlines, Born Free’s new report reveals horrifying online sales in elephant ivory, despite now being illegal in the UK after years of our campaigning.

“It’s frustrating some auction houses continue selling ivory,” said author Frankie Osuch, our Policy Support Officer. “It’s crucial the government takes action.”

EACH CAT COUNTS

Earlier this year, you helped give eight cats – big and small – new lives in South Africa. As you can see, our four stunning Lions of Lockdown, rescued from a circus in France, are flourishing at our sanctuary in Shamwari since their relocation in February. Meanwhile four servals, rescued from the illegal pet trade in Belgium, have transformed in their ancestral homeland at our section of Panthera Africa.

© P Briguglio

ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL

For the first time, Born Free has published teaching resources for children with additional learning needs, working with Autism and Nature. Visit bornfree.org.uk/education to discover our full range of curriculum-based teaching material for schools.

A RARE KIND OF GENEROUS

You’re incredible! Thanks to your kind gifts, our Apes on the Edge appeal raised £24,161 to protect rare gorillas in Cameroon, while Build Simba a Home made £76,910 towards the loving lifetime care this rescued young lion deserves (page 6).

SAFE THANKS

TO YOU

Funded by Cheetah Family adopters (page 33), our rescue centre in Ethiopia has been able to save another orphan, kept chained in a garden. “We treated Dima for neck injuries and he has recovered quickly,” said Head of Centre Bereket Girma. “His coat has a great sheen and he’s enjoying his food. We hope to introduce him to the wider family soon.”

©

TARGETING EU TROPHY HUNTERS

In October, Born Free cosponsored an event with four like-minded organisations at the European Parliament in Brussels, calling for an end to trophy hunting imports – the EU is the second largest importer of threatened species, after USA. Hosted by German MEP Manuela Ripa, the event launched our major new joint report, presented by Born Free’s EU Policy Officer Elodie Cantaloube.

WE SALUTE YOU!

Congrats to our London Marathon ‘pride’ for completing the world’s most famous road race and raising thousands in aid of Born Free, this October. See our website for the full story of our great eight and email info@bornfree.org.uk to run next April’s race or help.

TORTOISE RESCUE

An injured female leopard tortoise is now safe at our sanctuary in Ethiopia, thanks to children from our Environmental Club, who raised the alarm when she was dumped in their school compound. Unfortunately, Meskerem has a broken shell so cannot be released, but will be lavished with love, good food, space and above all peace, together with the 67 other rescued tortoises we care for.

Rowan Griffiths/The Mirror

THANKS TO YOUR GENEROSITY, SIMBA’S NEW HOME IS ONE OF OUR FEEL-GOOD STORIES OF 2022 AND THE PERFECT WAY TO CELEBRATE OUR YEAR OF THE LION. ANDREA DONALDSON REPORTS.

Back in September 2020, Simba was dumped in a cardboard box in an abandoned garage near Moscow, Russia. Thankfully, his desperate cries for his lost mother alerted rescuers but, only a few months old, he was in extremely poor health – emaciated with a nasty skin condition, both a result of severe neglect. How remarkable to see his transformation, with your help!

Although the events running up to Simba’s discovery are unknown, we suspect he was a victim of wildlife trade and abandoned due to poor health. The sickly infant was taken in by the caring team at Wild Nature Hospital in Russia, who nursed him back to health. But, due to lack of space, they needed to find a lifetime home elsewhere. Born Free was contacted and, of course, we couldn’t say no!

Last December, Simba was transported to our colleagues at Natuurhulpcentrum in Belgium for temporary housing, while we looked for a suitable home with one of our partners. Our sanctuaries in South Africa were at capacity but, fast-forward to June 2022 and Simba finally arrived at his glorious forever home, Animanatura Wild Sanctuary, in the Italian hills. Now two years old, he has an endearing quiff slowly developing into a mane, is maturing well and miraculously bares few visible scars of his horrendous former life.

Sadly, stories akin to Simba’s are all too common and, even in 2022, trade in wildlife is prolific. Wild animals continue to be irresponsibly bred in captivity or taken from the wild, to be traded as commodities in zoos and circuses, sold as pets, or their parts used for ‘miracle medical cures’. This trade is devastating – to society’s perception of animals’ real value, to wild populations and, most importantly, to each individual animal caught up in commerce.

Due to Simba’s appalling start in life, he is unlikely to survive alone in the wild. Naturally, wild lions undergo up to two years extended care from their mother and pride as a whole. They learn essential skills – how to stalk and capture prey for food, how to live in a pride, how to understand hierarchies and deal with conflict.

Captive-born Simba, taken from his mother at only a few weeks, never had the opportunity to learn these skills. Preparing individuals for life in the wild is an incredibly complex, lengthy and expensive process. Hand-reared animals often never regain an instinctive fear of humans and rehabilitated large mammalian predators have an unacceptably low survival rate. For all these reasons, Born Free does not try to release any rescued big cats to the wild, at present. Instead, we give the best possible care for life and share each story far and wide, as we work to end wildlife trafficking and exploitation.

At Animanatura, Simba has a first-class sanctuary life but, we are now planning to construct a purposebuilt, expansive enclosure. Designed to fully meet his needs, it would include climbing platforms, scratching trees and large private areas to keep out of sight and be seen or not as he chooses. At Born Free, an animal’s needs come first, their well-being is paramount, their requirements our priority. Thanks for feeling as we do!

Dr Andrea Donaldson Acting Head of Rescue & Care andrea@bornfree.org.uk

CAN YOU HELP?

Scan

We

funds to achieve

vision for Simba’s new enclosure –bornfree.org.uk/ build-simba-a-home

“SIMBA HAD SUCH A SAD BEGINNING TO LIFE. HE HASN’T HAD HIS MOTHER’S LOVE BUT, I GUARANTEE HE’S GOT A LOT OF LOVE NOW! WE NOW WANT TO BUILD SIMBA A BRAND-NEW AREA, SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO HELP THEY CAN BE PART OF THIS FANTASTIC PROJECT AND BUILD HIM AN EVEN BETTER AND BIGGER HOME.”

Lisa Russo, Animanatura

ACROSS THE WORLD, BORN FREE STAFF AND SUPPORTERS HAVE CELEBRATED OUR YEAR OF THE LION AND HELPED RAISE VITAL FUNDS AND AWARENESS.

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE CHALLENGE

Hundreds of you took to the streets to raise funds for lions. People of all ages put their best foot forward on World Lion Day, 10 August, and walked or ran 20,000 steps to honour the world’s 20,000 wild lions and raise funds.

SUPER SUPPORTERS

Brave Anna Treby (right) climbed the O2 Arena as part of her fundraising

Junior Ambassador Hector walked 20,000 steps around a local reservoir in aid of lions

Our Head of Fundraising Adele Mills on her valiant Walk on the Wild Side in Surrey

Our Head of Comms Amanda Poole-Connor popped in to see Virginia and Will on her walk

Our Editor Celia Nicholls roped in the whole family to go wild for lions in Somerset!

Our Junior Ambassador Thea visited our bronze lions (page 3) and raised funds pre her walk Thanks for all you do Val and Mike!

In Kenya, over 600 supporters took part in a ROARSOME Walk on the Wild Side event

Val Hackett and Mike Carey held a black-tie evening in Staffordshire, their 22nd event in aid of Born Free. To date they have raised a phenomenal £550,000 for wildlife.

RUNNING WILD

Our gallant Run Wild squad including Born Free staff ran a variety of races from fun runs to marathons to raise funds for Born Free.

“SUPER PROUD TO HAVE SHARED THE STREETS OF LONDON WITH MY FELLOW RUN WILD TEAM. WE MADE NOISE FOR BORN FREE AND ALL THAT THEY STAND FOR IN YOUR YEAR OF THE LION. WELL DONE BORN FREE, IT’S AN EMOTIONAL FEELING STANDING TALL WITH YOU FOR THE ANIMALS!”

Led by our Patron Sally Gunnell OBE and Born Free Kenya’s Newton Simiyu, our gallant team of 13 conquered Mount Kenya to raise funds.

FREEDOM TO ROAM

To celebrate Virginia McKenna’s birthday in June, supporters enjoyed the online film premiere of this global music concert with acclaimed flautist Eliza Marshall and world-class musicians.

Thanks Eliza, we love working with you!

Thanks Dawn Lawrence for spreading the word at local events from Women’s Institute to Lions Clubs!

YOU CAN HELP Inspired? You can still get involved in our Year of the Lion. Just scan the QR code or visit bornfree.org.uk/ hear-me-roar

Scan me!

Actor Ritchi Edwards ran his THIRD London Marathon in aid of Born Free (page 5)

Ritchi Edwards

Dawn Lawrence

WANT TO SAVE RARE SPECIES? EMPOWERING LOCAL PEOPLE AND FUNDING COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION IS THE KEY, AS PENNY BANHAM EXPLAINS.

Wildlife conservation is the protection of animals, plants, and their habitats – protecting the planet for future generations and giving nature a chance to thrive. However, it’s a common misconception that conservation is simply about wildlife. Although fundamental principles of ecology and biology of animals and their habitats underpin all we do at Born Free, most of our wildlife conservation efforts are actually centred on people.

Yes, the same people that, as species decline, can be viewed as enemies of nature – the all-too-common, but faceless, one-dimensional profile of the poacher, the hunter and the habitat destroyer. Nothing, however, is so clear-cut – when people suffer, nature suffers too. There are several reasons driving people towards paths that hurt nature. Many communities are wholly reliant on the natural environment for their livelihoods and, when things go awry, for example in times of droughts and rising costs, the seeming abundance of natural resources offers a solution.

On a day-to-day basis, tangible costs to living with wildlife – such as being attacked by animals walking to school, losing livestock to predators and crops being raided by elephants – are borne by local communities, many of which are marginalised and vulnerable. Over the last century, hugely damaging and immoral conservation practices across the world have sought to exclude and disparage communities, disregarding critically important voices and needs of local indigenous populations.

For conservation to succeed, we need to fully recognise that people and wildlife are interconnected. This is why local people are at the heart of all Born Free conservation programmes. For example, in our charity’s heartland of Meru Conservation Area, Kenya – where Elsa the lioness was returned to the wild in 1958 – we’re now working directly with farming and pastoralist families to reduce humanwildlife conflict, from the majestic lion to the iconic elephant. Our conservation programmes aim to build capacity and empower individuals by employing local people, giving them skills and providing income for their families.

YOU CAN HELP

Directly support communitybased conservation by adopting one of our Meru animal families – giraffes, rhinos or Elsa’s Pride bornfree.org.uk/adopt

SAVING GIRAFFES

Jacqueline Ntinyari is one of our amazing new Twiga* Team rangers, who remove snares and reduce poaching in Meru. Locally born Jacqueline has a passion for wildlife. “Being a ranger is considered dangerous and many believe this role belongs to men only. This isn’t true –every single woman can be a conservationist. I love my job and will spend the rest of my life protecting animals so they can live freely.”

By the end of this year, Born Free’s work in Meru will have directly employed over 15 people from the local community and helped thousands of families reduce the impacts of human-wildlife conflict, contributing to reducing poverty and making Meru a safer place to live. This is only the start of a hugely ambitious plan to help secure peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife, ensuring that we pass a safe and healthy natural world into the hands of future generations. We will report back soon!

PROTECTING ELEPHANTS

Samim Kaari is one of five committed new Elephant Guardian team members. Trained as a teacher, she taught young students in an area where human-elephant conflict is rife and illegal trade of bushmeat high. But, Samim knew she could influence her community to embrace conservation. With support from Born Free, she helps local people in Meru humanely tackle human-elephant conflict and flies the flag for elephants.

Penny Banham Conservation Manager penny@bornfree.org.uk

FIND OUT MORE

This piece is an extract from Penny’s full-length article, available at bornfree.org.uk/blog/power-tothe-people

*Swahili for giraffe

Jaqueline (left) and her colleague Amina remove a deadly snare

EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION GO TOGETHER AT BORN FREE. WE HELP LOCAL PEOPLE FIND

BY LAURA GOSSET.

Communities are central to sustainable conservation efforts – local people are the beneficiaries, the stakeholders and often pay the day-to-day costs of living with wildlife (see page 10). So, Born Free’s Education programmes focus on bringing together our mission to protect wildlife, with community engagement and tangible benefits.

In Amboseli, Kenya, in addition to our work on smart bomas (see box) we engage with women’s groups to increase understanding about wildlife and find solutions to local challenges. Back in May, I was privileged to visit Kenya and sit with one such group and understand why something as simple as a solar lamp can make such a huge difference.

Solar lights can improve health by providing another light source so families can extinguish fires after cooking. The lights thus reduce smoke inhalation and eye strain AND the need to cut down trees for firewood – protecting habitats. They allow children to study after dark, do homework and improve grades, and also reduce human-wildlife conflict, helping people move around safely after dark and avoid wild animals, from

snakes to lions! This winter, as we celebrate Diwali, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas and other festivals, let’s reflect on the impact a simple gift of light can have.

Meanwhile, near Meru National Park, we work with community groups to deliver tangible benefits, including healthcare services, education and improved water management. But why water? One consistent cause of human-wildlife conflict, especially with elephants, is access to water. If too much is taken up stream, wild animals can be drawn into communities and farms to find water, when rivers inside protected areas run dry.

By implementing water conservation measures, water can be shared equitably, within communities as well as with wild neighbours. This key component of our holistic programme goes hand in hand with other activities, from tree planting to locally employed Lion Ambassadors and ‘bee-hive fencing’ – honey bees deter elephants, protect crops and provide income.

Like to support our practical, solution-based, people-led approach to conservation? Do get in touch!

Laura

Gosset

Head of Education laura@bornfree.org.uk

What is a smart boma?

To keep livestock safe from lions, Born Free reinforces traditional enclosures with chain-mesh and adds eco-friendly smart tech including solar lighting, energysaving stoves and water storage. We help people, protect livestock AND save lions!

FIND OUT MORE

Enjoy Laura’s mesmerising full-length report on her visit to Kenya at bornfree.org.uk/blog/ stories-from-kenya

PUPPETS & PEOPLE

In August, our partners at No Strings International joined the team in Kenya to conduct a training programme on the use of puppetry in community outreach. The project helps people stay safe around elephants by better understanding their behaviour.

MEET AYAN

Celebrating one year with Born Free, 14-year-old Youth Ambassador Ayan from Singapore uses his incredible art as a movement for conservation, telling the story of wild animals’ beauty and vulnerability. “Over the summer I spent a week at Thula Thula Reserve in South Africa, learning about conservation. Face-to-face with the world-famous elephant herd, I was struck by how powerful, yet gentle and empathetic they are. My visit made the fire for conservation burn brighter in my heart.”

WE AIM TO LEAVE BEHIND A GENERATION THAT WILL VALUE WILD ANIMALS.”

Phoebe Odhiang, Education Programmes Leader, Born Free Kenya

THE LONG READ:

ZOO-FREE FUTURE SEEKING A

Bill Travers MBE, Co-Founder

Hi, I’m Chris and I work as Born Free’s Captivity Research Officer, with a special focus on researching captive animal issues in the UK and pushing for legislative change. With a background of working in the zoo industry, my first-hand experiences now drive me to hold zoos to account and push for reform. And I’m Sarah, Born Free’s Captivity Campaigns Information Coordinator, and I oversee our Raise the Red Flag platform – encouraging people like you to report wild animals suffering in captivity and speak out. I manage our vast library of photo and video evidence and over the years have seen thousands of heart-breaking images, many of which will stay with me forever.

Throughout Born Free’s history, our charity’s passion to expose suffering and challenge the global zoo industry has been at the heart of all we do. Ignited by our CoFounder Bill Travers MBE’s tireless and fearless mission to uncover and expose the shocking truth, this effort continues to this day – our Year of the Lion, honouring his 100th birthday year. Painstakingly begun by Bill, an expert photographer and filmmaker, our extensive catalogue of horrific evidence is gathered at zoos and other captive facilities around the world. Backed up by your eyewitness reports, this work irrefutably shows that myriad tens of thousands of wild animals still suffer in captivity, including our beloved lions – the symbol of Born Free.

Captive lions live an alien life compared to their wild counterparts. The modicum of space provided, lack of enrichment, plus unnatural social interactions, diet and climate, as well as close proximity to humans, are a far cry from the complex lives these glorious apex predators have evolved to lead in the wild. The damaging effects on individuals can be huge.

Lions frequently endure extensive problems induced by their captive environment, with distressing tell-tale signs that individuals are suffering from stress, frustration, and boredom. These include unnatural, stereotypical behaviours such as repetitive pacing, to the point of wearing a path into the ground or stopping at the exact same spot before turning and starting again. This year, 2022, also saw the 30th anniversary of Bill Travers first coining the term ‘zoochosis’ to describe such obsessive and disturbing behaviours, seen in countless captive wild animals across the world today. ‘Zoochotic’ animals can be found at even the most well-known and highly regarded zoos.

Aside from hunting, defending their territories, and interacting with their family prides, many of us have enjoyed documentary footage of wild lions resting for the majority of their day out of the sun and in the shade. Captive lions also rest for much of their day, however

ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR

You can watch our short new zoochosis film at bornfree.org.uk/ blog/remembering-captive-animals

with little to occupy waking hours and limited opportunity to expend energy or burn calories, individuals easily gain weight and, without dietary control, become obese. There are two main reasons: firstly, the home ranges of wild lions across Africa are reported to extend from seven square miles up to 800 (20-2,075km2), depending on environmental conditions. In contrast, zoo enclosures are orders of magnitude smaller. For example, the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums shockingly states the minimum enclosure size for lions should be just under one hectare (0.004mi2 or 0.01km2)! This, combined with captive lions not having to hunt to obtain food, results in negative physiological and psychological consequences.

Many captive animals are provided with food items requiring drastically different feeding techniques. Big cats, including lions, are fed a nutritionally supplemented meat diet, sometimes on the bone. This requires much less masticatory (chewing) effort than consuming wild prey. As a result, research has found the skull structure of captive individuals can significantly differ from wild counterparts. Similarly, studies have found captive big cats have significantly lower bone density and mass than their wild cousins. There was a positive relationship between home range size and bone density in wild individuals, leading researchers to conclude inactivity and small enclosure size caused lower bone densities in captive big cats.

Aberrant, maladaptive behaviours are also demonstrated in captivity, including males inexplicably killing females and higher than expected cub mortality, unseen in cohesive wild prides. Consequently, independent researchers conclude that keeping and breeding lions in captivity has little conservation value for reintroductions to the wild, and does nothing to address the underlying causes for the species’ decline in the wild.

Many zoos have limited space for lions, especially those involved in breeding programmes. Often, elderly individuals or those deemed to have less important genes are culled to make room. In recent years, the culling of healthy lions in zoos has hit the headlines, including nine ‘surplus’ cubs killed in Boras Djurpark, Sweden, four lions including two cubs culled in Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark and even Longleat Safari Park in the UK, which culled a female lion and her four cubs.

The latter two zoos tried to justify their shocking action, by explaining the animals were inbred, but ultimately this just highlighted that breeding programmes are fundamentally flawed. And culling is not limited to lions. Back in 2014, the director of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria estimated 3,000–5,000 animals were euthanised in European zoos every year, including a few hundred large mammals. Unfortunately, the zoo industry’s lack of transparency into how animals have died, makes more up-to-date figures impossible to come by. Born Free has long campaigned for zoos to be required to declare how animals died or were euthanised on annual stocklist submissions.

But, the exploitation of captive lions is not limited to zoos and they face many other problems around the world. Seen as a symbol of strength, wealth, and prosperity, lions are frequently at the mercy of human profiteering and egotism.

Thousands are still held in southern African facilities, including intensive breeding farms in South Africa, selling the opportunity to pet and walk with a young lion. Astoundingly, international tourists aren’t put off by reports of human injuries and fatalities following such inappropriate close contact. Prematurely removed from their mothers, cute lion cubs are easy targets and who couldn’t help but fall for those big, feline eyes staring up at them… However, the opportunity to get souvenir photos or selfies cannot justify the short, miserable lives these animals lead and the suffering they endure. Please, tell everyone to say NO and speak out.

And what of lions forced to perform unnatural tricks for our ‘entertainment’? Although the list of countries that have banned the exploitation of wild animals in circuses is slowly growing, there are sadly still many lions found in shows. The shocking private keeping of lions is frequently seen as the ultimate status symbol, and the number of ‘pet’ lions around the world is also staggering. Here in the UK, there are up to 200 lions in zoos and private collections.

Fortunately, after decades of Born Free’s campaigning with your support, the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England, Scotland and Wales has been banned by the devolved governments between 2018 and 2020. It is, however, still legal for captive lions to be used for performance in advertisements, television and films, and for people to keep them as a pet. We still have much work to do!

“MY FATHER COINED THE WORD ZOOCHOTIC TO REMIND US, EVERY TIME WE SEE AN ANIMAL SUFFERING IN CAPTIVITY, THAT THE FIGHT FOR A KINDER, MORE COMPASSIONATE AND MORE JUST FUTURE FOR ALL LIFE ON EARTH ISN’T OVER, UNTIL IT’S WON.”

Will Travers OBE, Executive President

© J McArthur/BFF

But, Born Free is on the case and we recently responded as a consultee to proposed revisions to the standards of modern zoo practise in Great Britain, which includes lions and all other species held in zoos. Using our four major zoo reports released over the last two years, we continue to press for real zoo reform within Britain. Two further captive wild animal reports have been published as we also push for revisions to performing animal legislation and a comprehensive review of exotic pet keeping in the UK – to bring the keeping of lions and other unsuitable species in private settings to an end.

Over the years, Born Free is proud to have rescued and rehomed 56 lions from circuses, zoos, and private ownership. Thanks to your generosity, we have provided each of them with lifetime care in spacious, naturalistic sanctuaries. But sadly, the outcome can’t be the same for every captive lion in need, so it is vital we all continue to speak out and give these individuals a voice.

Our database of global captive wild animal reports, along with our vast photo and video library, is bursting at the seams. However, we need as much information as possible to support our mission to bring about radical, positive change. So, if you see a lion or any other captive wild animal you are concerned about, please take action (see You Can Help). Let’s make Born Free’s Year of the Lion a turning point, one that heralds a brighter future for all lions, forever.

Chris Lewis

Captivity

Research Officer

clewis@bornfree.org.uk

Sarah Jefferson

Captivity Campaigns Information Coordinator

sarahj@bornfree.org.uk

WOULD ANYONE

TO

A LION FOR

DEBATE

STORY

TROPHY HUNTER.

The sky was changing colour. The inky blackness of night, twinkling with a canopy of stars, slowly gave way to purple, then orange. The client was cold, sitting for long hours in the blind*, trying not to move. The wind was favourable. The impala was suspended two metres up in a tree, not 40 feet away.

The dawn chorus made it hard to hear other sounds but – there it was again – the low rumbling of a big cat breathing… The line of sight was perfect. The barrel of the high-power rifle balanced on the gun rest. All he had to do was wait.

The lion was clearly nervous. Coming across an easy meal like this was strange. He was on his guard. He was magnificent. He reached up to take the bait, exposing his flank, perfect for the fatal heart shot under the foreleg – so much better than a head shot which, in all likelihood, would ruin the trophy. The rifle cracked and the lion fell twitching and writhing.

At least it was a clean shot thought the professional hunter, sitting silently behind the client, just in case. He’d seen too many clients shoot and wound, but not kill. Following up a trail of blood left by a wounded

WHY

WANT

KILL

FUN? AT A

ON HUNTING, WILL TRAVERS HAD A BIG IMPACT WHEN HE TOLD A SHOCKING

HE HAD WRITTEN FROM THE WARPED PERSPECTIVE OF A

lion was dangerous and could take many hours. At least, this time, the animal did not suffer. The professional hunter, the trackers and the skinners gathered round the client, the adrenaline rush making them all hyper-excited. The body was cleaned up (nobody likes anything that looks too gruesome) for the obligatory social media photos – the victor and his high-powered rifle crouching triumphant, grinning, over the prone body of his trophy. Being a lion, there was no meat to share with the local community, but they had already been given some meat from the carcasses of the dozen or so ‘low value’ animals he’d killed as bait to lure the lion to his doom over the last 20 days.

And, there were other benefits, the client told himself. The £46,000 (US $50,000) he’d spent on ‘getting his lion’ would be split many ways – some to the airline for his long-haul flight from the States, most to the safari company from whom he had bought the hunting package, a modest amount to the government for a trophy fee, considerably less to the local community (he’d been told they got ‘something’, although it was not entirely clear just how much).

He repeated this to himself. It was a kind of mantra which allowed him to reconcile the fact that, by dint of his wealth, he had been able to kill a lion – and, in fact, many other species in his quest for a Safari Club

International Africa 29 Award (29 African wildlife species, including three of the Big Five) – while ‘helping conservation and local communities’, albeit in a modest way. His conscience was assuaged. This was not about him, not about his ego, his desire to kill for ‘fun’, his machismo. It was about conservation – a few lives sacrificed for the benefit of the many.

This was something he’d told himself for the last 20 years, ever since he started trophy hunting. It was comforting. It helped him sleep at night.

Will Travers OBE Executive President

will@bornfree.org.uk

ARE YOU WITH US?

*A hide to conceal hunters

Born Free is ethically opposed to hunting lions or any animal for pleasure and strives to bring this ‘sport’ to an end. Trophy hunting causes immense suffering and so-called ‘benefits’ for conservation and local people are grossly over-exaggerated. Our solutions are humane and much more effective.

TO END TROPHY HUNTING BORN FREE:

Campaigns to end appalling ‘canned hunting’ of lions in South Africa.

Beyond Trophy Hunting Discussion

6.30pm Thursday 15 December 2022 Royal Geographical Society London SW7 2AR

YOU CAN HELP

Help our petition to close down trophy hunting reach 50k signatures!

Visit and share bornfree.org.uk/trophyhunting-petition

Tickets: £22/£15 students/£10 livestream Book your tickets for our public discussion at this prestigious venue – bornfree.org.uk/events/ beyond-trophy-hunting

Works to secure international change and close down trade in trophies

Is at the forefront of efforts to secure a UK ban on trophy imports

Seeks tighter restrictions on EU trophy imports and exports

OUTSIDE VIEW:

OUR HEAD OF POLICY DR MARK JONES CHATS TO NOMUSA DUBE, FOUNDER OF THE ZIMBABWE ELEPHANT FOUNDATION (ZEF), DEDICATED TO HELPING COMMUNITIES CO-EXIST WITH WILDLIFE.

What inspired you to establish ZEF?

I was campaigning against the cruel trade in wild infant elephants torn from their families in Zimbabwe and transported to zoos in China and UAE and wanted to raise awareness. I created this non-profit foundation to advocate for stronger coexistence between people and wildlife.

What is your view on trophy hunting?

It makes me angry and sad. We should have evolved to stop these medieval practices. They say trophy hunting is about conservation and helping local communities, but that’s very misleading. It’s been going on in Zimbabwe for decades, yet wildlife continues to diminish and local people continue to live in abject poverty. Corruption in Africa means money from trophy hunting never reaches them. It’s a story of mismanagement, unlawful determination of hunting quotas, and missing money. Trophy hunters don’t do this for conservation, they do it for fun. They target the fittest individuals and the rarest species, disrupting animal families, weakening gene pools and driving them towards extinction. How do you kill a species to save a species? It doesn’t make any sense.

TROPHY HUNTING

What do local communities think?

Local people in Zimbabwe loathe trophy hunting, they don’t want it at all. They are the guardians of wildlife, it’s their land, but they don’t benefit from trophy hunting, and it only escalates conflict between people and wild animals. The local people live in fear. Government officials and hunting bodies decide what happens, the communities don’t really have any say. They are used as pawns in this trophy hunting game, so tens of thousands of dollars can be deposited into foreign bank accounts. That money never returns to Africa.

What impact will bans on trophy imports by countries like the UK have?

It would be a huge step forward in terms of saving species that are being hunted. Zimbabwe’s authorities are not going to like it. They are benefiting while local communities live in abject poverty. Whatever they say, behind the scenes nothing is happening for the local people. Local communities being used as pawns so a few people can live a life of luxury.

What’s your long-term vision?

The key to conserving wildlife all over the planet is to work hand-in-hand with local communities living alongside. If we can empower and support them then they will look after the wildlife. Equity for communities and grass roots education are really important.

I continue to fight for wild animals because they play such a vital role in the ecosystem and mitigating climate change. Our survival depends on wildlife – if they go, we go as well.

FIND OUT MORE

To read Nomusa’s remarkable interview in full please visit: bornfree.org.uk/blog/ nomusa-trophy-hunting

“TROPHY HUNTERS DON’T DO THIS FOR CONSERVATION, THEY DO IT FOR FUN.”

As I am sure you know, at Born Free we care about all animals. Whether they face the natural challenges of the wild or the people-imposed challenges in captivity.

For my husband Bill and myself, the seed was sown in 1964 when we went to Kenya to make the film Born Free, and, subsequently, what happened to all the lions that were used in it. Tragically, out of over 22 lions (of all ages), we only managed to save three – Boy, Girl and Ugas. However, on the positive side, it was the start of a new life for them and for George Adamson, who had been our ‘lion man’ during the making of the film.

I have always been deeply grateful for that experience, with its mixture of joy and sorrow, as it took us on the first steps towards a different life – and an unknown future. A future that George was always a part of, until his tragic murder in 1989.

Of course, as one gets older, there are an everincreasing number of anniversaries to mark. Some joyful, some sad. But, writing today, I would like to recall the positive ones – and, at the top of the list, must be the rehoming of Anthea and Raffi – two beautiful lions we rescued from a tiny, filthy, rooftop cage in Tenerife in 1995, and eventually rehomed at our new sanctuary in Shamwari Private Game Reserve, in South Africa, 25 years ago – thanks to the vision and generosity of Adrian Gardiner, who created the reserve.

Our Sanctuary is now fully occupied as, recently, the four ex-circus Lions of Lockdown who, because of Covid, had waited patiently for two years to make the

journey, finally were able to step on to African soil this February. I know that Bill would have been overjoyed, as he would be by the way that – under Will’s leadership – Born Free’s spirit and purpose grows ever stronger.

As I write this, I am remembering – with special joy – Born Free’s Mane Event evening, at the end of September (see page 3). It was wonderful to see friends, old and new, members of the ‘Born Free Family’, as we like to call it. And I know that Bill and George were with us in spirit.

HOW MANY LIONS?

Since we began, Born Free has rescued 56 lions from lives of suffering in zoos, circuses and the pet trade. With your help, we currently provide loving and expert care for life for 27 lions (see page 18), costing £202,397 every year.

Virginia McKenna OBE, Co-Founder & Trustee

VIRGINIA MCKENNA LOOKS BACK AT SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL LIONS WHOSE REMARKABLE TRUE STORIES ESPECIALLY TOUCHED HER HEART.

Raffi and Anthea happy at Shamwari

King really appreciates the jungle gym at the bottom of his enclosure – lions love a good view of their surroundings and he spends much of his time up there or snoozing in the shade. He and his companion Thea continue to enjoy each other’s company, with lots of friendly head rubbing, nuzzling and grooming.

King also communicates with our other rescued lions and when he starts roaring, the others soon join in, creating a chorus. He likes to socialise with his rescued

WHO WILL YOU ADOPT TODAY?

KING’S STORY

Home today: Lifetime care in a spacious enclosure Background: Rescued from illegal pet trade in France, 2017 Arrived at Shamwari: July 2018 Age today: Five years

leopard neighbour as well, Zeiss. King walks close to the fence line to see him better, then settles down to watch – he seems captivated by his presence. Thea is also interested and they lie down to watch the leopard together.

In terms of health, I’m happy to report your lion is very well and, as you can see, looks fantastic. King has a great appetite and is always excited by food – his calm manner instantly transforms as he defends his meal. He holds his meat close to his chest and growls to ensure everyone knows it belongs to him! Thank you for helping us care for him.

Martin Miritiawo Animal Care Supervisor

Transform the life of an individual in need or help ensure the survival of an entire species!

The perfect Christmas gift for animal lovers everywhere –includes a fun and educational gift pack (eco-friendly digital pack available), plus regular updates and optional cuddly toy.

© SimoneSmith

KYRIAKOS THE BROWN BEAR

ARCTUROS,

GREECE

You’ll be happy to hear Kyriakos is still our largest bear having hardly lost any weight during hibernation. He awoke earlier this year, healthy and energetic as if he had been eating, not sleeping, for months!

Despite being 18, he still acts like a cub, playing in his pool and climbing trees like a young bear. In the heat of summer, he enjoyed the thick shadows of the trees and the cool water of his stream and pool. But, despite the hot temperatures he seemed to really love summer, probably due to the rich variety of fruit and veg he can enjoy! His favourite treat is fish, but he also greatly appreciates cherries and peaches. Generally, your bear prefers peace and quiet, but he can often be found lying by his fenceline in the proximity of other animals.

But your adoption doesn’t just help care for Kyriakos. Earlier this year, Arcturos successfully released three orphan bears we reared after they were found in Bulgaria in 2021. All three are now back living wild in Bulgaria’s forests. Then in May, we took in a new cub, Thomas, found in Florina’s mountains without his mother. Thomas has entered our rehabilitation programme and we hope will be released into the wild next spring.

Melina Avgerinou Animal Rescue and Care Manager, ARCTUROS

SARA’S STORY

Home today: Lifetime care amidst 100 acres of rainforest in this island sanctuary in Lake Victoria Background: Sara was rescued in South Sudan and was due to be sold as a pet Rescued: 2012 aged four years Age today: 14 years © CSWCT

SARA THE CHIMPANZEE

NGAMBA ISLAND CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY, UGANDA

With your support, Sara continues to do well on her forested island home in Uganda. As you know, chimpanzee society is hierarchical, but her strong position in the group has remained constant.

Her carers keep a watchful eye as Sara can be a little boisterous when she plays, especially with youngsters Eazy, Tamtam and Bolly. Clever Sara knows to sit near to Eazy at meal times, trying to grab food before he does or even take it from him. Sara sometimes tries to pick a quarrel with other chimps too, especially when Kyewunyo has a piece of food she really wants, even though there is plenty to go around!

Sara regularly sleeps in the forest rather than coming back to the shelter. She and her beloved surrogate mother Connie often have a grooming session in the open before returning to the forest for the night. Sara then gets up early in the mornings to wait for food. Recently, having spent the night with good friend Kikyo, Sara woke up before breakfast, found the perfect spot to get the best food, then took her meal back to the forest without the others even seeing her. Your chimp would make a great spy…!

Dorothy Basemera Guest Relations & Partnership Officer, Chimpanzee Trust

KYRIAKOS’ STORY

Home today: Lifetime care in a spacious beech forest enclosure Background: Rescued from Kastoria in northern Greece as a four-month-old, wild-born cub, with his twin brother Manolis, when their mother was killed Arrived at sanctuary: 2004 Age today: 18

SPRINGER THE ORCA

HANSON ISLAND, JOHNSTONE STRAIT, CANADA

With perfect timing, Springer and her babies Spirit and Storm, arrived back almost twenty years to the day that she returned to her family and community back in July 2002. Springer’s presence causes a lot of excitement, even if only suspected to be nearby, so it was during the dark night of 20th July that we strained to hear her familiar voice in the distant mix of calls from ‘incoming’ orcas.

A large gathering of people came to nearby Telegraph Cove on 23rd July to celebrate the twenty-year anniversary of her rescue and return. As speeches and presentations were underway, Springer was meanwhile far to the west in a meeting of her own with other members of her orca community. Arriving initially with her A4 Pod cousins, she then returned with her A5 Pod cousins, Fife’s family. She and her babies stayed for another six days during which Springer, true to her independent nature, kept company with members of the A1 Pod.

THE GIRAFFE FAMILY

MERU NATIONAL PARK, KENYA

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, a 56% decline in 30 years

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 is supported by Born Free Family: 21-year-old Springer gave birth to Spirit in 2013 and Storm in 2017

Background: When Springer’s mother Sutlej died 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 in 2002.

We had several opportunities to see her, both directly and through cameras at the rubbing beaches of Johnstone Strait. Springer ensured her young ones spent time at both beaches, and to our delight passed close to our underwater cameras more than once. For all of us invested in her continued welfare, her strength of will, independence and resilience over these past twenty years is very reassuring!

Helena Symonds & Dr Paul Spong Co-Directors, OrcaLab

Giraffes are predominantly browsers, eating leaves and buds on trees and shrubs. Males can reach higher vegetation than females, although both can stretch their head and neck nearly vertically to access preferred forage. Feeding takes up most of your Giraffe Family’s day – they spend up to 75% browsing!

Reticulated giraffes have declined 56% in the last 30 years but, with your help, Meru is a vital stronghold, with 10% of the global population. It’s critical to protect them – they are threatened by poachers laying snares (giraffes are poached for their meat, bones and tails), conflict with local farmers, and livestock incursions into the conservation area which increases competition for resources and the risk of diseases spreading.

Our ‘Twiga Team’* of five energetic young men and women carries out daily patrols to remove wire snares, removing over 100 in one month alone. They have also set about identifying individuals, creating a database, to get a better estimate of Meru’s population and learn about social structure. Software called ‘Wild-ID’ analyses giraffe photos, using each giraffe’s unique patterns and we have so far identified 150 individuals! Thank you for joining our team to protect these precious giraffes.

Francis Kago Project Officer, Saving Meru’s Giants, Born Free Kenya

*Twiga means giraffe in Swahili

THE PANGOLIN FAMILY

SANGHA PANGOLIN PROJECT, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

In late July we took in our first pangolin in two years, a baby white-bellied pangolin found alone in the swamp. The baby weighed just 300g and like most babies mainly slept. Pangolins are very hard to rear and we are getting extra help as the process is full-on. We also continue to guard Mona – a rescued pangolin returned to the wild with your help, carry out community awareness and use camera traps to collect data to learn about these rare animals.

Recently, Mona crossed over the swamp going east away from the lodge – interestingly taking the same direction as other previously released pangolins. The team and I are devising a study to understand her better and why she stays in certain dens then ventures to find a new one – often using the very same holes that two of our other pangolins, Pangy and Koki, used to prefer.

Recently we had heavy rain, and while pangolins usually hide in their dens when it rains, Mona travelled back to her soft release site near the swamp. Within three days she was back on track though, heading east again. The rain has just begun again, and Mona has been sleeping in a fern high in a big old tree. I wonder, this time, if she will sit tight or move on.

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

THEIR STORY

Home: Wild in a band of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains, in north west Argentina

Family: There are thought to be no more than 250 adult jaguars in Argentina, with up to 150 living in the Yungas

Background: With Born Free’s help, Jaguars in the Fringe works to reduce threats, stop poaching and encourage expansion of the jaguars’ range.

THE

JAGUAR

YUNGAS FOREST, ARGENTINA

THEIR STORY

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

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

Rescued: Since 2013, more than 100 pangolins have been cared for and released, then monitored by local Ba’aka trackers

FAMILY

As you can see, Ucucha is a beautiful a female jaguar who lives in Calilegua National Park, Argentina. She is a young and healthy big cat and lives in a lower area of the park that was affected by wildfires two years ago. We met her during our camera-trap surveys, as we investigated the effect of wildfires on your jaguars and other mammals.

Until recently, we encountered Ucucha exclusively in nonburned areas, despite the burned areas having a good tree cover and prey presence. It seems a matter of preference for Ucucha, rather than being driven by food availability, since other jaguars prefer to live in the burned areas. We totally sympathize as moving around a recovering forest, with so many thick bushes, vines, and bindweeds, both dead and growing, is really a challenge – probably for her, but definitely for us!

The forest seems to be strongly recovering, not least the jaguars and other mammals. This year has been very dry and, with your amazing support, it is very important for us to continue working on education to help prevent fires from spreading again. This will allow this great environment to keep flourishing as well as the rest of the Yungas ecoregion – home to Ucucha and her family. Thanks for helping keep them safe.

Juan Reppucci Researcher, Jaguars in the Fringe

© Martin Cooper

Our new baby rescued with your help

GOPAL THE TIGER

BANNERGHATTA TIGER SANCTUARY, INDIA

The onset of monsoon in Bangalore has cooled Bannerghatta National Park, home to your adopted Bengal tiger Gopal. He has been thoroughly enjoying the rainy season weather. Cooler temperatures seem ideal for him and he often spends time wading around in his pool, or just soaking up the rain.

It is wonderful to see how comfortable Gopal’s life is at the sanctuary. He has several favourite hiding places which can make him difficult to spot at times! Now he is growing a little older, our vets make sure to provide the right supplementation to enhance his regular diet, plus plenty of enrichment to keep him busy.

For example, we have been incorporating new olfactory enrichments, leaving scent trails around his enclosure to keep him engaged and interested in his surroundings. Tigers have a great sense of smell and Gopal can easily identify his carers by catching their scent in the air. Thanks to your loyal support, Gopal’s life has been running smoothly and we are very grateful!

Sandhi Priya Deputy Director, Corporate & Philanthropic Partnership Wildlife SOS

Anisha Iyer Conservation & Education Officer, Wildlife SOS

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: 12

ELSA'S PRIDE

MERU NATIONAL PARK, KENYA

Elsa’s Pride is Meru’s second largest lion family with a wide territory spanning Elsa’s Kopje*, Mugwangho swamp and Rojawero plains, and even further afield in Mawe ya Simba and Kindani plains.

Your unique pride enjoys tree-climbing and seems keen to show off, providing our team with some remarkable sightings. We watch them taking a blissful nap in the branches or relishing the cool breeze. Tree-climbing is believed to help protect lions from irritating biting insects, found on the ground. Additionally, treetops provide a good viewpoint to observe prey movement and select the best target. Lions are social hunters, with favourite food including giraffes, zebras, buffaloes and gazelles.

Currently, your pride is comprised of 20 individuals: five adult females, five adult males, three sub-adults, and seven cubs born last year. Three cubs have been seen exploring Elsa’s Kopje and the Rhino Sanctuary (see page 32), indicating they may be dispersing away from the pride. Earlier this year, adults Elsa and Liz were seen mating with General and King, so we are hopeful of new young cubs in coming few months. We’ll report back! Thank you for helping keep them safe

THEIR STORY

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

Family: Five adult females, plus cubs, led by males

Solio and Mang’erete

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.

*Pronounced ‘copy’, meaning a small, rocky, isolated hill

Alois Mweu

Project Officer, Pride of Meru Born Free Kenya

© Wildlife SOS

THE BROWN BEAR ORPHANS

BEAR RESCUE CENTRE, RUSSIA

Since we last updated you we have had in no new orphans, so our 2022 total is 14 orphan bear cubs, cared for with your help. At time of writing they are in their forest enclosure where they learn how to live wild. Soon we will introduce their ‘apple season’when apples, acorns, rowanberries and plums are ripe they will receive over ten tonnes of these fruits overall! This is very nutritious to them and allows them to gain weight.

The bears no longer look like small babies as they did even one month ago. As teenagers with disproportionately long legs, big ears and funny hair that sticks out in tatters, they will soon look like real brown bears. One of the biggest successes has been with our thirteenth cub – Vesnushkin. Rescued in April with severe wounds and a seriously injured paw, he had a very small chance of recovery. He had been stuck tightly between branches of a tree for two days. Now we are happy to report his wounds healed well. He can now use his paw normally – something which we deemed unlikely – he can walk, run, play, and skilfully climb trees!

Very soon, each bear will be examined and prepared for release in their areas of origin. As you read this, most if not all of these bears will probably have been released. We will let you know how they get on in our next update!

Katya Pazhetnova Wildlife Biologist & Centre Specialist Orphan Bear Rescue Centre

TIMTOM'S STORY

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

Background: Taken from her wild mother as a baby and kept illegally as a pet Age today: seven years

THEIR STORY

Home today: Rehabilitated at this woodland rescue centre, halfway between Moscow and St Petersburg, and returned to the wild where they were found.

Background: Rescued, often as helpless newborns in critical condition, when separated from their mothers due to logging, human conflict and illegal hunting

Arrival at sanctuary: Usually from January until early summer each year

Age on arrival: From a few days to a few months old

TIMTOM

With your help Timtom receives round-the-clock care from our expert team as she learns what it takes to be wild. She is incredibly curious and every day is taken into the forest to practice climbing, foraging, and nest-building in the trees. But while her campmates ascend into the trees, Timtom seems to feel at home on the forest floor.

During wet periods she loves to dunk herself in water, and in dry spells rolls around covering herself in sand. Timtom has a sneaky trick of digging her hands into the soil and throwing dirt all over her. That way she gets a nice bath in the river before heading back in the evening! Despite this, Timtom is a wonderful climber and good at foraging. She has yet to practice her nest-building, but by watching her campmates we’re hopeful she’ll soon show more of her natural instincts.

Every few months, Timtom is given routine vitamin and deworming injections to strengthen her immune system and our local vet, Dr Dimas, is happy with her overall health and progress. Each year we release orphaned orangutans into the forest when they become ready for the wild, and we look forward to the day when Timtom will be fully prepared to join them!

Ashley Leiman Director, Orangutan Foundation

ORPHAN

CAMP JL RELEASE CAMP, LAMANDAU WILDLIFE RESERVE INDONESIA, BORNEO

THE ELEPHANT FAMILY

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK, KENYA

Your extended Elephant Family has enjoyed four years of good rainfall, meaning plenty of good vegetation and an easy life. But in semi-arid areas those good times can’t last forever and in May the long rains failed. We are now moving into drought conditions, and times are tough for Amboseli’s people and wildlife. Although water remains available, vegetation is not renewed – little rain means little growth – and herbivores struggle to find enough food. However, Edwina and the other elephants can cope better because they eat shrubs, roots, and trees as well as grasses.

As times get tough, the interface between people and elephants can get more strained. Competition between livestock and elephants increases as they focus on the same areas where food and water are available. Despite everyone’s best efforts, as resources dwindle it can become harder for humans and elephants to share space peacefully.

Edwina’s family has done well so far, but have four calves under two years old who are vulnerable during these tough times. Yet we remain hopeful as Edwina is an incredibly successful mother – she has only lost one calf in her life, back in 2017. Thank you for helping keep these precious elephants safe!

Dr Vicki Fishlock Senior Scientist, Amboseli Trust for Elephants

THEIR STORY

Home: Living wild in the plateaux of the Afroalpine highlands, 3,500m above sea level

Family: Close-knit packs, each led by an alpha male and female

Background: Slender, long-legged and red-tinged, closely related to grey wolves but, hunt alone, preying mainly on molerats and grass rats.

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 1973.

THE ETHIOPIAN WOLF FAMILY BALE

MOUNTAINS, ETHIOPIA

On the hills of Shehano, perched on the slopes of the Simien Mountains, lives a unique wolf: Terefe. With your help, he is the first ever Ethiopian wolf our team has nursed back to health and released back to the wild after a life-threatening injury. We have closely followed Terefe’s journey since 2020, thanks to his GPS collar. He roamed northwards, settling near the village of Shehano, where he was joined by a young female, and the Terefe pack was formed.

Now, nearly two years on, we are thrilled to share the news that Terefe is a father! Our team was delighted to catch sight of a young wolf pup close to a den. Ethiopian wolves typically have litters of two to six, so our monitors watched closely but couldn’t tell if there were siblings. Not to be dissuaded, a couple of weeks later, our team returned and their perseverance was rewarded – they were glad to report a second, very shy, pup, completing a family of four.

Even though the monitors kept their distance, so as not to disturb the wolves, the pack was on high alert and frequently called to each other. Although skittish and alert to the presence of people, each wolf looks in good physical condition and they are wellsituated in suitable habitat. Thank you for helping keep them safe!

Professor Claudio Sillero Founder, Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme Chief Scientist, Born Free

© ATE

© T Grobet/Nyala Productions

THEIR STORY

Home today: Lifetime care in their own spacious bush enclosures

Background: Sami rescued as a cub from the Sudanese desert in 2001, Mowgli and Zeiss from a South African zoo in 2020

Age today: Sami is 20, Mowgli two and Zeiss seven

CHINOISE THE CHIMPANZEE

LIMBE WILDLIFE CENTRE, CAMEROON

With your support, Chinoise continues to be strong and independent, playing happily with her friends, especially Jojo. He and Chinoise swing around on the rope and climbing structures and play chase. Another chimp, Jack, chases her too, but Chinoise stands up for herself if needed. Her adoptive mother Papaya remains dominant in the group, which helps Chinoise maintain her own position – chimpanzee society is hierarchical and interesting to observe!

Every day, Chinoise enjoys a rich diet of vegetables, fruit, rice, beans, nuts, other plants and teas. Her recent, regular health check happily showed no issues and she also had her first contraceptive implant fitted recently. Chinoise is growing up fast and starting to mature now, so we ensure our animals do not breed – this means our precious sanctuary spaces are available to rescue other animals in need.

Thanks to your adoption, we provide Chinoise with a high standard of enrichment and veterinary care. The two carers who look out for her have 60 years of experience between them, so she is in the best of hands! We currently care for 39 chimps, with Chinoise in a group of 14. We recently took in little orphan Bakossi, who is doing very well in her custom-built jungle school!

Laura Praill Fundraising & Communications Manager

THE LEOPARD FAMILY

BORN FREE’S SANCTUARY, SHAMWARI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA

How wonderful to see Zeiss looking so elegant and strong. Since arriving two and a half years ago with Mowgli he has become less elusive as his confidence grows. Leopards are territorial, keeping a distance from each other, but communicate with a variety of vocalisations and Zeiss can rasp, growl and snarl.

Meanwhile our youngster, the black leopard Mowgli, has been very shy since he joined us. But he is gradually becoming more confident,we often hear him walking nearby – bushes rustling and twigs breaking as he tiptoes around.

Old boy Sami is very different to Mowgli as he’s been here since a young age and is very confident. We hang up his meat which he wrestles and really enjoys. Despite his age he looks so energetic after feeding, with a wild look on his face as if he has just taken down his own prey! Thank you for helping look after these wonderful leopards.

Martin Miritiawo Animal Care Supervisor

REST IN PEACE RHEA

We are heartbroken to report the sad death of our beloved ‘old lady’ Rhea, who recently died aged a remarkable 24. Rescued from a terrible zoo in Cyprus in 2009, Rhea thrived amidst the peace and privacy of her spacious home at Shamwari. Thank you for helping transform her life and giving her so many enriched years. We will miss you dear Rhea.

CHINOISE'S STORY

Home today: Lifetime care with a rescued chimp community in an expansive enclosure filled with climbing structures and stimulating enrichment

Background: Wild-born, her mother was killed by poachers when she was just weeks old and she was sold as a pet to a Chinese restaurant Rescued: January 2014 aged nine months Age today: nine yearss

Limbe Wildlife Centre

THE RHINO FAMILY

NATIONAL PARK. KENYA

Tana is a successful breeding female rhino who is key to the posterity and future generations of white rhinos in Meru National Park. A fantastic mother, she is very protective of her calves, especially when under six months old and vulnerable to predation. This has resulted in a 100% survival rate of all her six calves from birth to becoming independent!

Gakuya is the dominant male in the area and keeps a watchful eye on Tana within the Mururi swamp. White rhino home ranges are scent-posted with dung heaps used by both males and females. These ‘middens’ are usually located at territory boundaries and serve as marking points, but territorial males scatter the dung with ritualised kicks and spray urine. With his long horn and massive body size, Gakuya can engage in serious conflict to keep other males from invading his territory. Uniquely, Gakuya also protects Tana’s juvenile calves after she has left them for focus on younger calves.

Your adoption recently helped vital fund solar power for the rhino rangers and has had a positive conservation impact. Rangers now have more time to patrol and their communication within the sanctuary has improved – thank you!

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

PARLY'S STORY

Home today: Lifetime care, with over 180 rescued bears, in grassy, tree-filled enclosures with climbing frames, hammocks and bathing pools, plus sleeping dens

Background: Confiscated from an illegal wildlife trader in central Vietnam having, no doubt, been wild-caught to be sold to a cruel bear bile farm

Arrived at sanctuary: December 2012 Age today: 12

THEIR STORY

Home: Rhino sanctuary within Meru

Family: A large and healthy wild population of black and white rhinos, protected by rangers

Background: After a poaching epidemic in the 1970s and 80s, Born Free is helping Kenya Wildlife Service restore Meru’s wildlife, including rhino, to its former abundance

PARLY THE MOON BEAR

ANIMALS ASIA’S BEAR RESCUE CENTRE, TAM DAO, VIETNAM

Your adopted bear Parly has two new moon bear friends! Back in July of this year, Tuyết (meaning ‘snow’) and Thông (meaning ‘pine tree’) – transferred to Animals Asia’s care from a government sanctuary – were moved to House 2 where Parly lives. Sweet Parly quickly became their first friend at the new house: on their first day the two bears were separated from the others in another den, and Parly was very enamoured with them both. He spent a long time watching them and tried to paw playfully through the bars at them.

Recently, Parly has been spending more time playing with his new friend Noel than his usual buddies Xanadu, Arthur and Jeffrey. Noel is one of two other new bears who have recently integrated into the group, and it is wonderful to tell you that your Parly is always interested in new bears. He sits at the top of the sanctuary’s list of friendly individuals for newcomers to integrate with!

Outside of his social time with friends, Parly has opted to spend some time on his own and bring browse such as bamboo or fruit and vegetables to a wooden table to play with and chew up by himself. He is so easy going, and while he has many friends you can also see your bear is very independent!

Van Dang Supporter Engagement Coordinator of Bach Ma Animals Asia

MERU

THE CHEETAH FAMILY

ENSESSA KOTTEH RESCUE CENTRE, ETHIOPIA

I am excited to tell you that three new cheetahs, each rescued with your help, are now settling into our Cheetah Family. Sisay, who arrived in December 2021, was understandably very scared of people. We successfully treated an injury on her head and she has become used to her caregivers – great progress. She loves to lie under the acacia tree at the far end of her enclosure.

Dehar arrived in January and is young and active, but has a weak leg due to past malnutrition requiring extra care. To decrease movement, he lives in a small enclosure while his leg improves. Our newest cheetah, Dima, arrived in June having been chained in a garden. We treated him for neck injuries and he has recovered quickly, his coat is improving and he’s enjoying his food enrichment. We hope to introduce him to the wider family soon and will report back!

Bereket Girma Head of Centre

FAREWELL BOROMA & POLLYANNA

In recent months, we’ve sadly said goodbye to two precious cheetahs –both rescued from illegal trade. Boroma lived happily with us for ten years but, was gently put to sleep in June after becoming ill. Pollyanna – rescued in 2020 and named by her lifetime carer AnnaLouise Pickering in memory of her mother – sadly died in her sleep in August, after a short illness. Both are sorely missed. Our work continues to end this cruel trade.

CHIMANUKA'S STORY

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

Family: Mighty Chimanuka the silverback gorilla defends a large family of females and offspring

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

THEIR STORY

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

Background: Nearly all the family are victims of the illegal pet trade and were stolen from the wild as cubs Arrived at Ensessa Kotteh: from 2011 to 2022

Age today: From one to ten years

CHIMANUKA THE GORILLA

With your help, our team plays a vital role in the conservation of eastern lowland (Grauer’s) gorillas, a critically endangered subspecies of eastern gorilla, found only in Democratic Republic of Congo’s mountain rainforests. Kahuzi-Biega is home to several family groups, with 13 tracked every day to monitor health, behaviour and create an identification database as we learn about this rare species. Individuals are identified from distinctive marks or features, and even their unique noseprints!

Chimanuka has always been imposing around his females and offspring. Other males such as Nabirembo, or his grown-up son Bonane have sought to take on this leader, forming allegiances within the family, but Chimanuka has been victorious in these interactions.

Over the last year, his family divided into sub-groups: Chimanuka with six females, his son Uhuru with eight others, while his other son Nabanga – a large silverback with a bulging head similar to his father – has been solitary.

For a while, Chimanuka’s sub-group had moved into a section of the forest less accessible to the guides and tourists. This was normal for the time of year because, in the dry season, gorillas move in search of food. His females have since returned and settled into other sub-groups, but Chimanuka has not been sighted for a while. We continue to monitor his descendants and look forward to seeing what these gorillas do next.

Deo Kujirakwinja K Gorilla monitoring & protection team Kahuzi-Biega National Park

KAHUZI BIEGA NATIONAL PARK, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The perfect gift for animal lovers, enjoy Born Free’s new look adopt pack designs.

Fun and educational, your personalised gift pack includes regular updates and optional free cuddly toy. Or go digital and give even more to the cause. Show how much you care with the gift that cares!

Choose from:

KING

King was a sickly, terrified cub cowering alone in a dirty cage when rescued from the illegal pet trade in France. But look at him today! He has transformed at our sanctuary at Shamwari, South Africa and shares his spacious bush enclosure with Thea, also rescued from the pet trade. Your adoption will help fund his food and care.

ELSA’S PRIDE

Living wild in Kenya’s Meru National Park, this large family of lions was named in honour of the lioness star of Born Free, returned to the wild in Meru in 1958. Today the thriving pride includes five adult females and seven cubs. Your adoption will help keep them safe from poachers’ snares and fund our vital lion conservation work in Meru.

King

© Jessica Tyrer and BF Kenya

Moja – a mighty adult lion – lay stricken, caught tight in a wire snare cutting deep into his neck. The lethal noose was set illegally to trap wild animals as food, often for sale in city markets, and his injuries were horrific. The 11-year-old controls two prides in Meru National Park in Kenya and, devastatingly, this was the third time in two years he had been snared.

But, with the help of a kind legacy, Born Free is able to fund the daily efforts of our life-saving team in our ancestral homeland of Meru, where Elsa the lioness was returned to the wild by George and Joy Adamson. Our work continues to remove deadly wire snares before they can do more damage.

And Moja? Thankfully, working with the Kenya Wildlife Service, our team was able to save him from an agonising, drawn-out death. A few months on, his wounds have healed. He is still the king!

You too can leave a legacy of love. With a gift in your Will, you can help make it possible for our life-saving work to clear Meru of these deadly traps to continue and help secure a long-term future for wild lions – the symbol of Born Free. We hope, after you’ve remembered your loved ones, you would consider leaving even a small share of your estate to Born Free. And to make this important decision as easy as we can, we have partnered with Farewill, an award-winning UK Will writing service, to help you complete your FREE Will in under 30 minutes, either online or by calling their dedicated Will specialist service team.

Scan me!

To leave a legacy of love, simply:

• Scan the QR code and follow the instructions on screen

• Or visit farewill.com/bf-wildlife-nov

• Or phone 020 8050 2686.

Thank you.

Moja

YOU TOO CAN LEAVE A LEGACY OF LOVE, WITH A GIFT IN YOUR WILL

© georgelogan.co.uk