bornfree.org.uk

Wikie and Keijo at Marineland 2024 (c) Leo’s Animal Planet Following months of speculation and negotiation, it has emerged that the French authorities are pushing forward with proposals to move captive orcas Wikie and Keijo from Marineland in France, to Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain.

We know many of you have been eagerly awaiting news about Kariba’s journey to Pangea, and we want to share an important update. Her move was planned for the end of this month, but just days before travel an abscess was discovered on her foot. These are common in elephants who have spent years in captivity, and thankfully they are very treatable with proper veterinary care. We appreciate this is disappointing news for everyone who prepared for her arrival, but Kariba’s wellbeing comes first.

A captive tiger (c) Born Free Responding to reports that a tiger has been shot and killed by German police after attacking a keeper and escaping on the outskirts of Leipzig, Germany, we’re reiterating our call for urgent reform of laws governing the private keeping of wild animals in the UK and abroad. The incident once again highlights the dangers and welfare concerns linked to privately owned wild animals.

Born Free is deeply disappointed at the government’s decision to omit any meaningful commitments to nature protection or animal welfare from today’s King’s Speech. At a time when wildlife faces unprecedented pressures, the absence of even a passing reference to the government’s stated ambitions for nature and animals represents a troubling retreat from promises made only months ago.

ResQ the lioness has been fitted with a GPS collar (c) Born Free Kenya Just last month we shared the exciting news that we’ve been able to put a GPS tracking collar on lion in Meru National Park as part of our monitoring work. Now we have an exciting update – a second lion with a fascinating history, ResQ, has also been collared. Born Free’s Meru team has been monitoring lions in Meru National Park for over 10 years.

Chris Packham, Born Free’s Olivia Evans and Megan McCubbin at the rally (c) Rose Summers On Saturday 9th May, Born Free and more than 500 campaigners joined a rally opposite Parliament, organised by the League Against Cruel Sports and the Time for Change Coalition.

The servals were carefully transported home to Panthera Africa It was four years ago, in March 2022, that Born Free first rehomed the four male servals, who had all been confiscated from Belgium’s illegal pet trade. We were able to give them a fresh start and wonderful new life at Panthera Africa. Today the four are aged between five and nine years, and can enjoy life back in their spacious, individual enclosures.

Maggie (front) and Sonja at Shamwari (c) georgelogan.co.uk As the world honours Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday, how fitting that we’re also marking the 20th birthday of two rescued lioness sisters – Maggie and Sonja. Here at Born Free, the well-being of every lion matters – each one is worth celebrating! Today, in their golden years, Maggie and Sonja are surrounded by birdsong in the peace of our big cat sanctuary at Shamwari Private Game Reserve, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.

Will Travers OBE, Dame Virginia McKenna, Sir David Attenborough, and Ian Redmond OBE at a Hope 4 Apes event in 2013 Today, our hero Sir David Attenborough is celebrating 100 years on Planet Earth. This most special of birthdays is a remarkable milestone – what a wonderful opportunity to thank Sir David for all he has done, over more than 70 years, to show TV audiences the wonders of the wild.

Julie the elephant (c) Circo Victor Hugo Cardinali Born Free is excited to share some fantastic news with our supporters, who are playing such an important role in Pangea’s creation, development and imminent opening. Pangea, Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary, has been working to relocate Kariba, a female African elephant currently living alone in a zoo in Belgium, to a permanent home among the rich meadows and grasslands of the sanctuary.