Category:

1. Kura's Pride helps people, wildlife and domestic dogs all at once in Kenya

   Posted on 8:00pm Friday 7th Aug 2020

   World Lions’ Day is ROARING towards us (it’s on 10th August 2020) and in doing some research for this website to put up something about it, I have as always found myself getting very immersed in some of the fantastic work that charities are doing. One of the amazing programmes I found out about today was about a very special dog called Kura and Kura’s Pride.  Kura lives with the team working with the charity Ewaso Lions, who promote wildlife-human co-existence.  They believe "the long-term survival of lions and other carnivores depends on finding ways people can coexist with them". Kura  turned up in the charity’s camp on the day of the Kenyan National Elections back in 2013.  He was lost and lame and looking for somewhere safe to stay.  And 7 years on, he is still with the camp!   And now Kura is heading the Kura Pride initiative, which is working to improve domestic dog welfare in Northern Kenya.   During the period October 2019 and June 2020, Kura’s Pride and partners managed to vaccinate over 2,600 animals against rabies and distemper.  These two disease harm people and wildlife so it’s a wonderful thing to get the jabs done.  This video tells you more about it.  I was struck by how happy everyone looks, dogs and people. Kura is the Director of  Emotional Stability for the charity Ewaso Lions.  As such, he warns everyone of poisonous snakes and leopards nearby, and of course he loudly announces any visitor to camp. Find out more about Kura's Pride Find out more about Ewaso Lions

    

2. On World Lion Day 2020...African Parks works to protect lions

   Posted on 5:00pm Friday 7th Aug 2020

   World Lion Day 2020 is on 10 August 2020! 100 years ago, 200,000 lions lived across the African continent. Today, we are in the sorry position where less than 20,000 remain.  They have been extirpated form 26 countries, owing to habitat loss, conflict with people and poaching. Conservation organisation African Parks rehabiliates and manages 18 national parks and protected areas in 11 countries, covering an enormous 14.1 million hectares, in partnership with governments and local communities.   Lion Conservation with African Parks African Parks is creating safe havens for lions, increasing their range and bringing them back to places where they haven't existed for decades. They have been undertaking monitoring and research and mitigating human-lion conflict.    For lions are found in 8 of the parks they manage.   Creating Safe Havens to Stop Lion Poaching.  Protecting wildlife from poaching and other illegal activities is vital in the parks the organisation manages.  It fenced Liwonde National Park, hired and trained a bigger and better equipped ranger unit and used technoloy to monitor wildlife and defeat poaching.  It works to remove snares, and prevent wildlife-human conflict. Investing in Education and Local Communities - African Parks employs locals and invests in education, and it attracts tourists.  It knows that creating a relationship between people and lions is really important.  Reintroducing Lions to Historic Habitats - They were reintroduced to Akagera, Majete, and Liwonde after poachers had eliminated them from these areas.  The park is assessed first to see how viable it is to bring key species back.  Find out more about their work with lions here. Donate to African Parks direct here or.... you could buy a print for wildlife! Prints For Wildlife But the coronavirus is having a huge and devastating impact on conservation efforts across Africa, as tourism has collapsed and philanthropic giving has dropped. A group of over 60 acclaimed wildlife photographers from around the world have got together to create a fundraising campaign to help protect critical ecosystems and local communities.  It's called Prints for Wildlife.   There are some simply incredible pictures there - do take a look and spread the word.  So far, $300,000 have been raised. Prints for Wildlife runs from 26 July to 26 August 2020. All the funds collected via the print sale go directly to conservation non-profit African Parks.   Buying a print would be a great way to help wildlife, including lions!

    

    

3. 29 July is Global Tiger Day! Pledge for Malayan tigers

   Posted on 9:55am Wednesday 29th Jul 2020

   The WWF Malaysia and Maybank are celebrating tigers from 29 July to 31 August 2020.  They are kicking the event off on Global Tiger Day (29th July) and finishes on Merdeka Day and the idea is to get us all to #KeepRoaring for the Malayan tiger. There are now fewer 200 Malayan tigers left.  And as WWF Malaysia point, out, we all need healthy forests - and forests need tigers.  #KeepRoaring to save Malayan tigers, save our forests, and save ourselves by taking action! They are us all to donate, to learn about tigers, to spread the word, and to pledge to save the Malayan tiger from extinction.  Pledge your support to make tigers a national priority so that decisions on policy, allocation of resources, enforcement and land management favourable for tiger conservation can be made and implemented. PLEDGE FOR TIGERS HERE

    

4. Help the big cats at ADI's Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa

   Posted on 8:00pm Wednesday 6th May 2020

   If you’re a tiger or lion lover, take a look at AD International. One of the things AD International does is to rescue animals from circuses.  But years of confinement, deprivation and physical abuse has left a mark on the animals they rescue, sometimes for months, or years. These animals need looking after, of course.  They need food, and veterinary care, often surgery, medicines and vitamin/mineral supplements to give them the quality of life they now deserve. The ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa is now home to 42 ex-circus lions and tigers from Guatemala, Peru and Columbia, and one lion from a zoo.  They have more space and freedom than ever before.  Staff at the sanctuary are committed to giving these wonderful big cats the care they need to enjoy the rest of their lives. An example of rescuing the animals was in Guatemala.  The use of animals in circuses was banned there in April 2017 and the government invited ADI to help enforce the law 12 months later, because some circuses were defying the new law. ADI launched Operation Liberty in May 2018 and established a Temporary Rescue Centre to look after the rescued animals until they could go to their new homes. 15 tigers and 6 lions were rescued;  tigers Max, Simba and Kimba went to their forever home at Big Cat Rescue in November 2019.  17 lions and tigers went to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa, arriving in January.   They need long term care – and you can help!  One way is simply to donate.  Another is to Adopt a Big Cat. All donations to go the care of the animals. Please support the long-term care for the animals at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary home And you can help stop circus suffering here.

    

5. Help put more rangers into Sumatra to protect tigers

   Posted on 3:00pm Thursday 16th Apr 2020

   Are you a tiger lover?  Do you want to help tigers in Sumatra? Fauna and Flora International are looking for donations to put more rangers into the field in Sumatra to protect tigers. 100 years ago, Javan and Balinese tigers prowled the jungles of Indonesia.  Over generation after generation of tiger, mother after mother taught cub after cub how to fit the islands they were born on.  They became unique – each a subspecies in its own right.     But people slaughtered them.  They were tracked, found, killed and skinned to enhance the prestige of the big-game hunter or fill the coffers of a wildlife trader.  Both are now extinct.  They’ve gone.  And on the next island along – the same thing is happening again. There are fewer than 400 Sumtran tigers left.  That number is going down.  They are critically endangered. Help Fauna and Flora International protect tigers with a £3 donation. ©Fauna and Flora International Despite the persistent efforts of conservation teams, there aren’t enough areas that are protected to stop poachers getting through and setting deadly snares. The tigers have no idea about all of this.  They don’t have a clue.   They cannot avert the slaughter they see don’t coming.  We need to make a stand and learn from the mistakes we’ve made before.  We cannot lose these tigers from Sumatra.  Fauna and Flora International are putting rangers in place.  They are training and equipping them to remove the snares and keep poachers away.  Then the beautiful Sumatra tigers can be safe in the wild again. In short, donations will put more rangers into the field. Please help Sumatran tigers today with a £3 donation!  Let’s put more rangers into the field and protect tigers.