Eleven lions rescued from Sudan released in South Africa
One of the eleven lions, rescued from war-torn Sudan, South Africa, credit: Reuters/Alet Pretorius ( skin and bones )
A year ago in Lions Rock South Africa www.lionsrock.org the lions are doing well. Learning how to be a lion instead of severely starving animals not able to walk
Eleven lions rescued from war-torn Sudan were released on Saturday at the Lionsrock Big Cats Sanctuary in South Africa.
Animal welfare organization Four Paws rescued the lions along with 46 other wild animals. The animals were flown in from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
"We have rescued many wild animals, big cats, many lions. They were starving. They were emaciated, had many wounds, and were scared because when the war started in April, the zookeeper left the location," said veterinarian Amir Khalil. "So it was very difficult. Animals started eating each other."
The lions are joining approximately 100 other big cats at Lions Rock Big Cat Sanctuary. Some of the animals there were also rescued from war-torn countries.
A 10-month war in Sudan between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the country and displaced more than three million people, with over 700,000 flights to neighboring countries.
Amidst the conflict, efforts were made to evacuate animals from areas heavily affected by the fighting. The lions, hyenas, deer, exotic birds, and monkeys were rescued from Sudan Animal Rescue in Al Bageir , near the capital Khartoum, where heavy fighting had been taking place since April 15.
Good news video ; 'Finally home' the incredible story
Photo credit: Lions at the Camagüey Zoo Facebook/Yanaris Alvarez
As severe economic instability in Cuba continues, a worsening animal welfare crisis is emerging within its zoos, raising urgent concerns that can no longer be ignored.
Recent reports from April 2026 paint a deeply troubling picture. At the Casino Campestre Zoo, images and eyewitness accounts have sparked international concern, showing lions in visibly emaciated condition. They appear weak, severely malnourished, and described as skeletal in appearance, struggling to survive. These reports have prompted urgent calls for immediate intervention.
But this may not be an isolated case.
Across the country, multiple facilities are reportedly facing similar challenges as Cuba’s ongoing shortages of food, fuel, and basic resources take a devastating toll not only on people, but also on animals entirely dependent on human care.
Zoos are increasingly struggling to meet even the most basic standards of animal welfare. Caretakers, often working under extremely difficult conditions, are constrained by a lack of supplies, limiting their ability to provide consistent nutrition and adequate care.
Facilities such as the National Zoo of Cuba are not immune to the country’s broader economic crisis, raising serious questions about long term sustainability and animal welfare.
Meanwhile, attractions such as the Acuario Nacional de Cuba and the Delfinario de Cienfuegos continue to operate, though visitor experiences vary widely and growing ethical concerns are being raised about conditions and consistency of care.
This crisis raises a broader and urgent question: what happens to captive wildlife when the systems meant to protect them begin to fail?
Without immediate attention, resources, and international support, the suffering of these animals risks deepening further, hidden in plain sight behind bars that were never meant to become cages of neglect.
The global community cannot look away. Greater transparency, independent monitoring, and urgent intervention from Cuban authorities are needed to address these conditions and prevent further suffering.
Take action by contacting the Cuban government, along with international animal welfare and public authorities, to urge immediate intervention to protect the lions and other animals at the Casino Campestre Zoo, as well as at zoos and facilities across Cuba.
The management of the Zoo at the Casino Campestre in Camagüey issued a statement rejecting the allegations shared on social media regarding the abandonment and malnutrition of its animals, but subtly acknowledged that the country's economic crisis directly affects the facility.
The text, shared by Radio Camagüey on , describes the publications that circulated in recent days as "manipulation and slander," and claims that the workers care for the animals "with such diligence and dedication."
However, the statement itself acknowledges that the oldest lioness in the zoo, at 22 years old, "shows natural signs of deterioration due to her inability to digest food," although it attributes this to biological causes associated with her old age.
The institution claims to have five caretakers, a food preparation specialist, a biologist, and a veterinarian who monitor the animals' health daily.
Facebook capture / Radio Camagüey
Even so, the message concludes with a phrase that reveals the contradiction between the official discourse and reality: the zoo operates "despite the effects of the current economic situation in the country, from which it is not exempt."
The complaints that prompted the institutional response began last Thursday, when the Cuban Yanaris Álvarez published images of three lions from the Casino Campestre showing ribcages and visibly marked bones, severely atrophied muscles, and lying on a concrete floor surrounded by dry leaves in a neglected environment.
The next day, on Friday, citizen Pedro González reported in the Facebook group Revolico Camagüey that the zoo director prevented him and other neighbors from directly feeding the animals with meat, guava, bananas, and corn purchased with their own resources.
González's response was forceful: "Where is that diet when animals are dying of hunger? Where is the care when the water is dirty and the environment is unhealthy?"
The director suggested as an alternative that citizens donate food to the zoo staff so that it could be given to the animals, a proposal that the neighbors rejected. "We all know what usually happens with donations: they don't always reach those who truly need them," González explained.
The case of Casino Campestre, the largest zoo in Cuba with over 900 animals from 72 species, is not an isolated incident but part of a documented pattern of neglect in state facilities throughout the Island.
Cuba approved the Animal Welfare Decree-Law in 2021, with fines ranging from 500 to 4,000 Cuban pesos, but activists and independent organizations point out that the law lacks effective enforcement mechanisms and that state institutions rarely respond to complaints.
The statement made this Saturday is a notable exception, although its defensive tone and its veiled acknowledgment of the economic crisis as a limiting factor reveal that, behind the official words, the situation of the animals under state management remains critical.
I wanted to share the latest update we’ve received from Dr Saif, whose team continues their extraordinary work with donkeys and horses in Gaza, despite unimaginable conditions.
His words speak for themselves. The situation is dire, but his determination is deeply moving. I hope you’ll take a moment to read his update below.
Even now, the team is treating wounded animals and - at times - risking their lives to bring first aid to donkeys and horses. These animals are vital to their communities, helping to transport food, water, and even the injured to hospital.
Tomorrow, we’ll be launching an urgent appeal to support this work. As one of our valued supporters, you're among the first to hear about it. You may receive a letter through the post, or email on Monday, but if you’d like to help right away, you can do so here:
And if donating isn’t possible right now, you can still make a huge difference by sharing our appeal with friends and family - we’ll be posting updates on our Facebook page over the coming weeks.
With kindest regards, Wendy, Safe Haven UK Office
PS. There is still time to complete our survey to tell us what you think of the weekly e-news update, along with anything else you'd like to tell us about your support to Safe Haven. If you'd like to complete it now - please follow this link.
News from Gaza
Thursday 24th July
Securing veterinary supplies here in Gaza is nearly impossible.
We had hidden essential medicines beneath the broken concrete of our old clinic, hoping they’d survive. Mohammed - my brother and a vital member of our team - had retrieved some already. But yesterday - despite everything - he went back for the rest.
He returned covered in ash, riding his old bicycle with a bag of lifesaving medicines strapped to the back. I stood frozen with relief that he had made it back. His journey was full of risk, but he told me he had to do it - to help all the animals who need us.
Mohammed exhausted from fetching vital medications hidden in the rubble of the team's clinic. He also received terrible news - this brother-in-law was killed while going to fetch food for his family from an aid point.
Now those hidden supplies are all used up, from this point on, we will need to buy even more medicine locally. But prices are many times higher than normal, and every dose of medicine will cost us far more than it should.
Mohammed and the team continue - despite everything - to treat hundreds of animals in need.
Many ask, “If people are starving, what happens to the animals?”
The donkeys, our most loyal of companions, are starving too. Yet they survive because we share what little we have. We would tear our last loaf in half - one piece for our children, one for the donkey.
It’s not just survival. It’s love. A bond forged in dust and despair. Even in the hardest times we remember them - because they never stop helping us by carrying our food, our water, even our people to hospital.
Donkeys and horses are vital to life in Gaza - they are a lifeline for their owners and communities.
This last week - despite the conditions here in Gaza - we managed to complete 18 field visits, walking through rubble and broken streets to reach wounded animals, mainly donkeys.
In total 156 animals received first aid. This is all thanks to our supporters - you are vital to our work, helping us to continue.
Yours, Dr Saif.
The team have carried out 18 field visits during the last week - helping 156 animals.
Our work in Gaza continues because it must - we are the only mobile team helping donkeys and horses. And on Monday, we’ll be sending you an urgent appeal to help us raise money to restock our vital medicines.
Please look out for it - or if you’d like to help now please click here. Your support means the world to our Gaza team - thank you so much.
Thank You
Everything our vet teams do to support working donkeys, mules, and horses is only possible because of you. Your generosity helps us protect animals and support their owners across the West Bank, Gaza, and Egypt - as well as care for rescued donkeys at our sanctuary in Israel and our rescue centre and hospital in the West Bank.
Royal Patron: Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra the Hon Lady Ogilvy KG GCVO Patrons: The Rt Hon the Earl of Stockton, The Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe DSG, Desmond Lynam OBE, Peter Egan, Kay Burley, Jan Leeming, and Anthony Head
UPDATE: Fake Rescuer Only Gets 7 Years for Starving 140 Dogs
A woman from Newton County, Mississippi, has been found guilty of only four felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and three misdemeanor counts of malicious injury following a horrific case involving an estimated 140 dogs who suffered and died under her so-called “rescue.”
Natalie Nicole Fancher was sentenced to 21 years, but due to overcrowding in Mississippi prisons, she will serve just seven years, followed by three years of probation and a $2,500 fine. She also faces additional drug charges in Louisiana after serving her time in Mississippi.
In Defense of Animals was contacted by Newton County advocate Jackie Therrien, who asked for help rescuing what turned out to be 73 surviving dogs across two properties. As Jackie and her friends began feeding and watering the animals, they also uncovered the remains of approximately 67 others who had perished.
Justice for Animals Senior Campaigner Doll Stanley immediately reached out to Sheriff Joedy Pennington to offer assistance. He welcomed the support and committed to securing the resources needed to pursue the case.
Stanley visited the first of the two properties and described a surreal and horrifying scene: dogs lying dead in blackened metal crates, others tethered to trees, wheelbarrows, and fences, or abandoned in filthy pens.
The next morning, the director and veterinarian of the Mississippi Animal Rescue League arrived to assess the dogs’ medical needs. One dog in critical condition was rushed to a local clinic for emergency care.
In Defense of Animals, the BISSELL Pet Foundation, and other supporters covered the cost of transporting, treating, and rehoming the surviving dogs through Animal Rescue Corps.
Animal Rescue Corps, a Tennessee-based crisis response organization, brought in a regional veterinarian to help examine, vaccinate, and document the dogs. Meanwhile, Sheriff Pennington secured the crime scenes and compiled critical evidence leading to Fancher’s arrest.
It felt like a painfully long wait for a conviction. For those of us who witnessed the unimaginable suffering Fancher caused, a life sentence would have felt far more appropriate. While the sentence handed down was far too lenient for the scale of this cruelty, it was still more than many similar cases receive. We are grateful for the sheriff’s department’s professional and compassionate handling of this nightmare and for the court’s decision to keep her behind bars—at least for now.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
