Lions Murdered by Poachers - Help NOW

Last year, you helped fly 33 abused circus lions to Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Africa. Today, we received word that two of the lions were murdered by poachers in the night. Emergency help is needed to secure the safety of the survivors.

Of the 33 lions that you helped save from a life of abuse, José and Liso were best friends. They were an older bonded pair that Animal Defenders International (ADI) collected from a zoo where they had been placed after authorities confiscated them from a circus. They had been confined and abused. José suffered neurological damage likely from being beaten on the head, and both suffered from cataracts. ADI worked for nearly 10 years to free them and the others from life in the circus, and you banded together to fly them to safety in their native African environment, where they grew in health and strength. Tragically, this week, poachers snuck into the sanctuary and killed José and Liso: defenseless lions in an enclosed environment. We do not yet know why the poachers killed them. Seeking profit by selling lions body parts and skins for trophies or for traditional medicine are both common reasons for this type of crime.

Along with our partners at ADI and Emoya, we are heartbroken and devastated—and we need your help more than ever. Poaching attacks on captive animals in Africa and around the world are becoming more common, and now that the poachers have seen the other lions, they could be back—we need to move quickly to protect the surviving lions. We are cooperating with the South African Anti-Poaching Authorities and the South African Police to safeguard the lions and bring the poachers to justice.

Animal Defenders International is a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to educate, create awareness, and promote the interest of humanity in the cause of justice, and the suppression of all forms of cruelty to animals; wherever possible, to alleviate suffering, and to conserve and protect animals and their environment.