The holding facilities as well as available support services that were developed at the HESC made the Centre a feasible destination for animal welfare groups to place animals that were confiscated or were in need of supervised care. This section will discuss the status, as well as background of animals that have been referred to the Centre since 1998.
In 1998, Animal Defenders, an international animal welfare organization (http://www
.ad-international.org/animal_rescues/go.php?id=710&ssi=24), found animals in transport crates that belonged to the Akef Egyptian Circus in Mozambique. The circus owner had left the country with the intention of collecting the animals at a later stage. This did not materialize and the animals were left without food and water – resulting in the death of some of them. Animal Defenders confiscated the remaining animals. They contacted the HESC with the request to provide suitable refuge for two lions and two Bengal tigers that were confiscated. The Centre agreed to accommodate the lions, but at that stage, no suitable holding facilities were available for the Bengal tigers. These animals were, however, accommodated in 2005.
LIONS (panthera leo – Linnaeus 1758):
After the lions had arrived at the Centre, DNE samples were taken from all of the animals in an attempt to establish the origin of the animals. Although the two male lions resembled characteristic features of the now extinct Barbary lions, the genetic origin could not be conclusively established as there are insufficient samples of this subspecies to determine an undisputable DNA benchmark for Barbary lions. These lions were old animals when they arrived and three of them have since been euthanized due to complications from old age. This was done at the discretion of the veterinarian with acknowledgement of the relevant animal welfare organizations. One of the lions, an old sterile female, is still in the care of the HESC.
BENGAL TIGERS (panthera tigris)
Two Bengals that had also been confiscated by Animal Defenders from the defunct circus in Mozambique during 1998, were referred to an animal sanctuary in KwaZulu Natal as the animals could not be accommodated at the HESC at the time. This property recently changed ownership when the farm was sold as a part of the land reform programme. The new owners could not accommodate the animals and Animal Defenders approached the HESC to provide sanctuary for the animals. Although the HESC places emphasis on endemic species, an exception was made as the animals were already old and no acceptable alternative establishment was available to accommodate them. A suitable camp at the Centre was made available where the two tigers. The last tigers died of old age in December 2009.
In late April 2006, Animal Defenders received a cry for help from Portugal where two lions and two tigers had apparently been abandoned by a travelling circus. An ADI Field Officer went to verify the facts and assess the situation. Two lions, Sarah and Caesar, and two tigers, Royale and Tarzan, were discovered living in a rusting beastwagon at the roadside near Lisbon.
The situation was desperate, with the animals in poor condition in two cages on the backs of lorries with poor sanitation, lack of water and lack of space. Circo Universal had been forced to stop touring due to financial difficulties, however, the animals, Sarah and Caesar (the lions) are aged 8 and Royale and Tarzan (the tigers) aged 5, had not been abandoned in the legal sense and were still under the control of the circus. The problem was the lack of caretakers, food, and facilities.
ADI began negotiations with the relevant authorities concerning the seizure and rehoming of the animals. An ADI veterinary team followed up with a visit to the animals to check their health, vaccinate them, and provide the with vitamins and minerals to build up their fitness in preparation for a move. With the animals still in the possession of the circus, this required deft footwork and negotiation, and was done under the watchful eye of the circus owner’s brother. ADI were also able to give the lions and tigers at least one hearty meal. The Portuguese authorities then moved in and seized the animals, placing them in the care of Lisbon Zoo whilst arrangements were made to transport the animals to a new home at the ADI Rescue Centre in South Africa.
New enclosures of natural bush vegetation were constructed in the ADI Rescue Centre at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa. Travelling crates were prepared and the long process of securing import and export permits began, with the permits finally secured just before Christmas 2006 – just as all the bodies involved in the transport arrangements closed down for the Christmas holidays.
The animals arrived at the HESC on the 23 rd February 2007. and have settled well.
Another animal welfare organization, Wildinc, confiscated two lions that were held in small cages in front of a restaurant in Bologna, Italy. These animals, used to attract customers, were temporarily accommodated at the zoo in Bologna. As the facilities at the zoos were not suitable, Wildinc, (aware that the lions have previously been referred to the HESC by Animal Defenders) arranged with the management of the HESC to provide sanctuary to these two lions too.
It should be noted that the welfare of the animals remains that of the two above mentioned animal welfare organisations, and that the HESC provides sanctuary and care.
ADD VIDEO OF ANIMALS
