Born Free: BELLA GETS CHECKED OUT

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KEEP WILDLIFE IN THE WILD

It was time for Bella’s annual check up this week and everything went very smoothly.  After resident vet Dr Richard Ssuna had put her under anaesthetic, several volunteers had to be drafted in to carry her across the enclosure – all 180kg of her! 

As many of you will know, Bella had to have one eye removed in Romania, as the result of an untreated eye condition called glaucoma which had left the affected eye very bulbous, and being blind in that eye, the eye was at great risk of being damaged.  Bella also had a cataract in the other eye as a result of malnutrition during her time in the Romanian zoo.   An eye surgeon from Nkhoma Hospital was brought in especially to check the condition of her remaining eye, and he said that laser surgery might be helpful at some point to remove some scarring.  However, he is happy with her condition for now. 

Her joints were found to be a little stiff due to her arthritis - she has poor conformation, again probably as a result of malnutrition in captivity or in-breeding, and so she will go on a special joint supplement to help her loosen up.  

Blood tests were taken and she was also de-wormed and received vaccinations for rabies and tetanus and was given a little ‘pedicure’ to keep her claws in good nick.

Overall Richard was happy with her health, although she does appear to be enjoying her steak a little too much and needs to go on a diet! 

For more information on Bella:

BELLA'S SURGERY
BELLA'S RECOVERY

Born Free: BELLA'S RECOVERY

Bella’s eye is still showing no complications after the cataract removal on 9th December.  It is interesting seeing the extent of her vision when she moves off the smooth concrete and goes out onto the grassy slope at the back of her enclosure.  Sometimes she walks very slowly and carefully picking her way through the long grass and bushes.  At other times, when something attracts her attention at the top of the slope, she will bound towards it confidently.   

Born Free’s senior veterinary consultant, John Knight, says that when Bella is tentative in her movements, this will probably be because she cannot focus at short distances and so placing her front feet is more difficult (she does not know what she is placing them on) and also she cannot anticipate the proximity of undergrowth before it hits her face. At medium and longer distances her sight is much better, and also she will be more sensitive, and so more responsive, to movement.

If we had inserted a replacement lens into Bella’s eye after the cataract removal, then she would have near-sighted vision as well.  However, unlike a pet dog or cat that can be handled, the long-term, follow-up care needed would have been almost impossible to carry out effectively, and would have been very stressful for Bella, so the decision was taken not to replace her lens.  We are delighted that she now appears to have good medium and long-sighted vision at least.  Before the operation everything would have been a blur.

Bella is relaxed and confident in her new home which is lovely to see, and continues to enjoy having regular meals and a varied diet - a far cry from the slimy, grey necks and wings from factory-farmed chickens she was fed on before.

We are still working on the lengthy process of securing all the necessary permits, and arranging the flights and overland travel to the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, but we hope it won’t be much longer before Bella can exchange the Romanian winter weather for the sunshine in Malawi.

We have been sent some lovely photos of Bella in the snow at her temporary home in Brasov Zoo.  They have been sent  by Dr Ion Brumar, the vet who cares for her.  Apparently she hasn’t been too keen to go out in the snow, preferring to remain in her heated indoor quarters, but it was a beautiful sunny day when the photos were taken and obviously Bella felt like stretching her legs.  It seems very clear, from one of the photos, that she is stalking the photographer using her eyesight, not her hearing or sense of smell.  Ion is convinced her vision is very much improved.

See>> 

Born Free: BELLA’S SURGERY GIVES HER THE CHANCE OF BEING REHOMED

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KEEP WILDLIFE IN THE WILD

October 2008

Bella had a glaucoma in her left eye
and a cataract in her right

Bella the lioness is transferred from Buhusi Zoo in Romania to Brasov Zoo two hours away.  The Born Free Foundation arranged with Brasov Zoo to give Bella a temporary home while she was recovering from an operation to remove her left eye, permanently damaged by a condition called glaucoma.  It was suspected Bella also had a cataract in her right eye.

EXPERT ATTENTION!

John Knight, the Born Free Foundation’s veterinary consultant is in charge of her move, assisted by Brasov’s vet, Dr Ion Brumar.  Opthamlmic surgeon Dr David Donaldson, from the Animal Health Trust in Suffolk donates his services for the surgery on Bella’s eyes.  Acrivet, the veterinary department of S&V Technologies in Germany generously loan a head-mounted microscope and the portable ‘phacoemulsification’ kit specially designed for veterinary use, which allows cataract removal to be carried out on larger animals. Dr Iuliana Ionascu from the Department of Surgery and Comparative Ophthalmology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest also donates her services. 

A veterinary practice in Brasov, the Kronvet Clinic, unusual in Romania for having an anaesthetic machine, have offered their staff and facilities for the operation.  The anaesthetic machine, used to dealing with cats and dogs, will be adapted to make it suitable for a lion!  

17.10.08 – Bella’s diseased left eye is removed.  She recovers successfully from the operation at Brasov Zoo.

Bella’s diseased eye with the glaucoma was removed

9.12.08 –John Knight and Dr Donaldson return to Brasov with colleagues from Acrivet.   The front capsule of Bella’s lens is removed and then ultrasound directed at the lens using a special handset which liquefies the hardened cataract material within the lens, allowing it to be aspirated from the eye. 

Dr Donaldson prepares to
remove the cataract

This method generally has fewer complications and allows for faster healing, and indeed Bella seemed to have some vision within hours after the surgery.  She was seen gazing at the sky as if looking at the clouds overhead, behaviour not noticed before.  So far, so good. 

Next>>

Born Free: BELLA RESCUE - BELLA'S CASE HISTORY

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KEEP WILDLIFE IN THE WILD

Bella’s diseased eye needed removing before she could be transported

Bella is a one-eyed lioness rescued from Buhusi Zoo, a run-down zoo in Romania, and now living at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi.  Her rescue in 2009 was a joint operation between the Born Free Foundation and a small NGO called Lions Roar.

Lion’s Roar were told  that Bella had been born in Buhusi zoo in 2002 and sold as a cub to gypsies who used her to attract tourists into having their photograph taken with the little lion.  When she became too dangerous for handling, she was returned to the zoo to be used for breeding.  As is often the case with cubs taken away from their mother for hand-rearing, it seems Bella was not given a proper diet while her skeleton was forming, and she has an arched, ‘roached’ spine, and unnaturally curved back legs. 

We are not sure what happened in Bella’s early years, but she was about four years old when Lion’s Roar discovered her, living in appallingly filthy, barren conditions in the zoo, with inexperienced, insensitive, uncaring keepers giving Bella and the other animals the minimum amount of care.  At that time Bella had a mate, a four year old lion named Fugi.  Lion’s Roar were told that Bella had given birth to a single cub the previous year which had died after two days.  Bella then gave birth to another cub. Lion’s Roar warned the zoo staff not to handle the cub, as Bella and Fugi were being diligent, gentle parents, but the keepers did take the cub out of the cage for short periods – perhaps hoping to sell it for use by gypsy photographers.  Sadly, the cub died in August 2006 and Fugi died shortly afterwards, seemingly from an un-treated kidney infection.  Bella was left alone. 

Not only was she alone, but she was almost blind: an un-treated glaucoma in her left eye had permanently damaged her vision, and it appeared she might have a cataract in her right eye. 

Filthy and run down, the zoo was closed to the public in 2007.

REHOMING BELLA?

In 2007, after the zoo’s closure, Born Free rehomed three lions from the zoo, Jools and her sons James and Jerry, to our sanctuary at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.  

We wanted to rehome Bella to Africa too, but our veterinary consultant had strongly advised against transporting Bella with her glaucoma: the bulbous eye could be knocked and rupture on the long journey and the haemorrhage could be fatal if this happened in flight, while we were unable to get to her.  Unfortunately we could find no veterinary practice in Romania that had the facilities for such surgery, and nowhere Bella could receive the necessary follow-up care.  

Over 12 months went by then, and Lion’s Roar tried to improve Bella’s enclosure with sleeping platforms and environmental enrichment, paying for it to be kept clean and for a better diet.  Then we heard of a veterinary practice in Brasov, two hours from Buhusi, that had an anaesthetic machine.  In addition, nearby Brasov Zoo offered to care for Bella while she recovered.  Quite by co-incidence, an ophthalmic surgeon from the Animal Health Trust in Suffolk had offered his services just weeks before, not knowing of Bella’s case.  Suddenly it seemed Bella’s story had the chance of a happy ending after all. 

Born Free: A TRAGEDY FROM START TO FINISH

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The Born Free Foundation is saddened to hear of the death of Knut, the young male polar bear at Berlin Zoo. 

Knut in December 2008

His short life was a series of tragedies from start to miserable finish. 

Knut was born in December 2006 at Berlin Zoo and, after apparently being abandoned by his mother, was taken for hand-rearing by zoo staff. Knut found himself at the centre of a publicity storm after animal groups in Germany apparently used Knut’s birth to highlight the fact that animals born at other zoos in Germany had been euthanased with impunity, and with heavy irony, called for Knut too to be euthanased. These misjudged comments led to an outcry that was picked up and amplified around the world in the media, so that the undeniably photogenic cub became an overnight sensation. 

Born Free called for the establishment of a Polar Bear Rescue Centre in Northern Europe where bears like Knut (that could not be returned to the wild) could spend their lives in as natural an environment as possible. Our recommendation was rejected.  

 Daily public shows were staged at the zoo, with Knut playing and interacting with his keeper, Thomas Dörflein. But of course, the cute factor apparently didn’t last long: reports of behavioural problems began to emerge. The snow-white fluff-ball of a cub became a grubby and possibly deranged young adult. In short: life in captivity began to take its toll. The shows with Dörflein were cancelled in July 2007 due to fears for the keeper’s safety, leading to reports that Knut was pining for human contact. German press reported that he “howls plaintively whenever he picks up Dörflein's scent, and has become so used to the attention of people that he also cries when no one is standing in front of his enclosure watching him”. Another keeper made the poignant comment: “he doesn't know that he's a polar bear”. 

Knut was an animal celebrity, worth huge sums to Berlin Zoo not for his value to conservation, but simply because of his ability to entice visitors through the gates. A legal battle over who owned Knut began between Berlin Zoo and another German zoo, which resulted in Berlin Zoo paying €430,000 to keep Knut. 

Will Travers, CEO of the Born Free Foundation said: “Perversely, in many ways Knut was valued far more in captivity than he would ever have been in the wild. In my opinion, this exemplifies much of what is wrong with zoos. While they may trade on their – questionable – commitment to conservation, the biggest fanfare from zoos is reserved for the birth of a baby: any baby, as long as it will bring in the crowds. Zoos are, and will always be, visitor attractions first, second and third, with lofty aspirations such as education and conservation coming way down the list.” 

Travers continued: “Let me be frank: I do not for one minute believe that keeping polar bears in captivity has any role to play in conservation, and furthermore I am all too aware, through recent investigations as part of our EU Zoo Inquiry 2011, of the behavioural and breeding problems associated with keeping this species in zoos. While we await the results of the necropsy which may shed some light on why Knut died, let’s use this opportunity to start to bring an end, once and for all, to keeping polar bears in captivity."

Born Free: JULIE WARD CENTRE DIARY 2011

.::BORN FREE::.

KEEP WILDLIFE IN THE WILD 

Written by Glen Vena

 

All is been going well and our cats are looking good.  Since the sad death of Pitou, our leopard rehomed from Monaco Zoo, it is still worrying for those of us who care for the cats, that you could come to work and one of them might not be with us any more, as happened to me with Pitou.  Most of our cats have been here with us for a long time and many are getting elderly so this is always on our minds. Most difficult part is how to deal with it and to move on.

I had a very interesting visitor from Australia and her name is Vanessa Russell.  Vanessa is an adoptive parent to our rescued cats and I spent the whole day with her and I learnt to appreciate even the smallest thing in life as it is very short. Vanessa Russell, she is a woman with a big heart and a spirit like a lioness, never giving up, whatever life throws at you.

We travelled all the way from the Paxton Hotel in Port Elizabeth to the Reserve, and we started our morning with a visit to the cats at the Julie ward Centre.  Here Vanessa met all our cats; she loved the triplets and Sinbad and was very impressed with the workmanship that was done to build Aslan and Stella’s new hospital quarters and camp.

We then went on a visit to the Animal Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) of Shamwari Game Reserve. There again we met all the animals that will soon be going back to the wild and here human contacted is very limited and on some occasions we had to look at the animals through peeping holes (that’s what we call them, you all might have a different name).

Then  lunch at Long Lee Manor. We had a great time and Matt our Manager was a really great host with his staff and that is what Vanessa said too.

After that we finished with a visit to the Jean Byrd Centre.  By now it was 3pm in the afternoon.   Vanessa loved the cats there too, and the only one she didn’t see was Kuma as he was a bit shy of the Avis Kombi that I was driving at the time. Then by 4.30pm we were on our way back to PE and Vanessa said it was nice being so fussed over.   Well all supporters get that treatment here and it is out of my heart.   I’m hoping to see Vanessa again soon when she comes over to South Africa.

SIRIUS – OUR LEOPARD REHOMED FROM MONACO ZOO

I see him only during feeding otherwise he makes use of the bushes in his camp; he is very shy and loves his privacy. 

SINBAD – OUR LITTLE LION RESCUED FROM ROMANIA

Sinbad has been very private too, lately.  He is okay though, I think he just wants his privacy sometimes like any other person would do. He still loves his food, and gets very protective over it, he will growl, mark his turf.  Other times he is very sweet and gentle, rolling around and sleeping on his back, all relaxed.  He is still The Man, guests love him to bits!

ACHEE AND MA JUAH – our lionesses with nutritional osteodystrophy from their poor early diets; Achee from a private home in romania and Ma Juah from a private zoo in liberia.

Girls are looking good, very relaxed. Ma Juah worried me the other day: during feeding she took a while before she came for her food, apparently she was at the bottom of the camp close to the platform where she sleeping.  I walked round the perimeter of the camp, trying to find her, and I didn’t notice she was following me! I was so close to calling Johan, our vet.  Then, Achee roared at the top of their camp, close to their hospital quarters and MJ roared right behind me – what a relief.  I gave her the food which she took immediately, and went off into the bushes to eat.  All good then, phewww!

LEOPARD TRIPLETS – found motherless in the Sudan

Alam, Sami and Nimira, they are always out and about.  They are starting to look really good with their on-going diet, even I can start seeing a difference in them.  Guests love them and they always put a smile on the kids’ faces, I really hope all the guests and school kids get the message behind what we are doing.  I try hard to make this clear, in the talks I give. 

These photos of Sami and Nimira, were taken by one of our supporters, Gill Greaves, on her recent visit.

Nimira

 

and Sami

 

ASLAN AND STELLA – our elderly lions rescued from Greek zoos

They are doing very well, eating well, and look great too. They are still enjoying their new hospital camps, so for me that is great news.  It is so much easier to manage them and to monitor their food in-take – especially important if the animals are elderly.  Johan and Murray, our vets, visited them along with our other cats and they both think Asland and Stella are looking well.  This is really good news to me, fingers crossed that all goes okay from here on.  I know our hot summers are hard on our elderly cats.

(I’m sorry I haven’t had time to take photos for this blog.  I will put in new pictures in February blog, keeping everyone in anticipation!  Glen )

BORN FREE ANIMAL ALERT

Have you seen animal neglect, suffering or cruelty whilst on holiday, or even in the UK? The Born Free Foundation works to alleviate the suffering of wild animals in captivity. Inform Born Free about animals in need, visit http://www.bornfree.org.uk/campaigns/ for more information.

Born Free: EAGLE OWL RESCUED

This poor spotted eagle owl had a broken wing when he was rescued by a passer-by who saw it being taunted by a group of young boys. Unfortunately, Malawi folklore claims that owls are evil and carry messages for witches and so they tend to be badly treated.  This case certainly highlights the need for more education in schools about animal welfare and the importance of keeping wildlife in the wild, but luckily we think this story will have a happy ending. 

After four weeks of close monitoring and veterinary care, Oliver the owl surprised the team by flying up to a tree in the aviary, even with his wing in a plaster cast!  Since the cast has been removed he has been perfecting his flying and intimidating looks and the team are now researching potential release sites.  We will update you with more shortly… 

 Born Free Foundation

African Impact - Lion Rehabilitation Volunteer Project, Zimbabwe

The involvement of volunteers on the project is paramount to achieving our aims on all fronts. You can expect days to be long, but you will also be able to end each day knowing that you have given something back to Africa; having made a difference to the animals and people that you come into contact with. 

We currently have the following ALERT research and conservation programs available on our project:

• African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program
• Influence of age and gender on the activity budget of captive bred lions
• Factors influencing the variation in mane development in captive bred lions
• Hunting strategy in captive bred lions
• Spoor as indicator of age in African lions
• Large predator assessment in ZNP
• Sable habitat selection in ZNP
• Biodiversity monitoring in ZNP
• Ground hornbill status assessment in ZNP
• Invasive of alien plant species removal in VFNP
• Biological monitoring in VFNP
• Waterhole restoration in ZNP
• Wildlife / human conflict mitigation
• Urban agriculture
• Conservation Education

As a volunteer you will work with the CCWA research team and National Park rangers on any number of conservation activities that may include some or all of the following, based on National Parks needs at the time of your placement:

• Assisting in the development of a new waterhole and renovation of a tourist observation tower;
• Camping out overnight to conduct a game census to see what animals come to drink; you may see herds of elephant and buffalo or maybe an elusive leopard;
• Conduct surveys of tourist movement patterns within the Park to assist in better management of the area to reduce soil erosion from the numerous vehicles in the Park;
• Assist in controlled burns as part of the ongoing bush fire management scheme;
• Conduct surveys of the wild lion population, tracking spoor (the signs left behind by an animal as it moves through the Bush, such as paw prints); taking photographs for identification; and recording important information so we can gain a better understanding of the species within the Park;
• Carry out snare sweeps to remove the wires set by poachers to illegally catch the animals that inhabit the Park;
• Work with local communities to mitigate lion / human conflict.

The Victoria Falls National Park contains abundant birdlife and a vast array of plants and animals. Your work here will include:

• Catalouging the rich diversity of wildlife within the Park so that a more accurate record is kept of the range and extent of different species;
• Removing of the non-indigenous plants – this can be hard work as many of the species protect themselves with formidable spines and thorns but it vital work to ensure the ongoing health of the eco-system;
• Maintaining tourist facilities to ensure that visitors can continue to enjoy this world heritage site in safety.

African Lion Conservation - Zambezi National Park - Conservation, Victoria Falls

 

 

 

Video right below

 CLICK HERE TO WATCH

 VISIT THE WEBSITE:

http://www.africanimpact.com/

 

GoEco - Zimbabwe - Volunteer in Africa

Volunteers for Ecological & Humanitarian Projects

Volunteer in Zimbabwe on Lion Rehabilitation & Conservation

Volunteer to work up close with lions against the backdrop of the majestic Victoria Falls. Be involved in the research of lions’ behaviour and participate in the world’s only programme for their release into the wild. You will also volunteer to assist the National Park's rangers and to teach about conservation in the local school.  

Volunteer work and contribution

• Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program 75%
• Conservation work within the National Parks 20%
• Conservation Education & Community Development 5%

Daily tasks:

Lion Walks.
Research.

Work in the National Parks:

• Assisting in the development of a new waterhole and renovation of a tourist observation tower;
• Camping out overnight to conduct a game census to see what animals come to drink. You may see herds of elephant and buffalo or maybe an elusive leopard.
• Conduct surveys of tourist movement patterns within the Park to assist in better management of the area to reduce soil erosion from the numerous vehicles in the Park;
• Conduct surveys of the wild lion population, tracking spoor (the signs left behind by an animal as it moves through the Bush, such as paw prints); taking photographs for identification; and recording important information so we can gain a better understanding of the species within the Park;
• Carry out snare sweeps to remove the wires set by poachers to catch illegally  animals that inhabit the Park;
• Work with local communities to mitigate lion/human conflict.

Video links from

Zimbabwe - Lion Rehabilitation & Conservation below.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 

VISIT THE WEBSITE:
http://www.goeco.org/

GoEco - China - Volunteer in Asia

Volunteers for Ecological & Humanitarian Projects

  

Volunteer in China at the Giant Panda Center

Volunteers are welcome to assist in an exciting and rewarding program with giant pandas in China. Their survival is paramount and saving this species is a race against time.

-Volunteer work and contribution-

 Some of the activities are:

• Prepare food for the pandas such as apples, panda bread, carrots and carry lots of bamboo
• Clean panda enclosures
• Observe and do research on the pandas
• Assist in providing medical care of the pandas

Video from Giant Panda Center below

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

VISIT THE WEBSITE:

http://www.goeco.org/

Waylon Jennings & Cheryl Ladd - "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys"

Waylon Jennings duet with actress and singer Cheryl Ladd on 1978.
Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.
Great performance.

Video link below

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 

Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter - I Ain't The One

My tribute to the great Waylon Jennings and his gorgeous Jessi Colter.

Video link below

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 

Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter - "Silent Night"

Video link below:

 Click here to watch

Born Free: KING OF THE JUNGLE IN TROUBLE

                                                                .::BORN FREE::.

                                         KEEP WILDLIFE IN THE WILD

Lions in crisis: Born Free calls for UK Government to follow United States' initiative

African lions are under serious threat. Unless current trends are reversed, it’s possible that within the next few years the continental population of wild lions, already down to less than 40,000 animals from nearly 76,000 in 1980, will collapse. Ten years ago, lions inhabited 30 African countries. That number is now down to 27 and it is likely that they will disappear from more countries in the years ahead unless action is taken now.

Today, the Born Free Foundation and Born Free USA, together with representatives of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), The Humane Society of The United States/Humane Society International and Defenders of Wildlife, have submitted a Petition to the United States Secretary to the Interior calling on him to designate the African lion as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The US is the single biggest importer of wild lion body parts and trophies and may be responsible for 50% or more of the lions that are killed for trophies each year. Listing under the ESA would prohibit the general import of lion trophies into the US unless it could be shown that the importation enhanced the species’ survival or was for scientific purposes. This single measure could dramatically cut the number of lions shot for ‘sport’ by US citizens.

Will Travers, CEO of the Born Free Foundations explains: “The pressure on lions comes from all sides. Loss of habitat due to the impact of a sub-Saharan human population that is predicted to grow from 518 million in 1990 to 1.75 billion in 2050; loss of the wild animals that lions naturally prey on, due to the ravages of the commercial bushmeat trade; the impact of deadly diseases often transmitted from livestock or companion animals; retaliatory killings – the spearing or poisoning of lions after they have attacked livestock; and high levels of unsustainable trophy-hunting and body part trade.”

Although the US is the largest importer of trophies, Europe is not far behind. Between 1998 and 2008 lion trophies were imported into Spain (958), France (565) and Germany (525) amongst others. During the same period, the UK imported 87 lion trophies. The impact of an ESA listing and strong lion-protection measures in the USA could be undermined if trophies continue to be imported into the European Union. 

Will Travers concluded: “Today, the Born Free Foundation has written to the UK Government’s Minister for Biodiversity, Richard Benyon, asking him, on behalf of the British Government, to intercede with our European Community colleagues to immediately review the comprehensive body of evidence that has been submitted to the US Department of the Interior as part of the ESA Petition and take urgent action to end the import of lion trophies sourced from wild animals into Europe.” 

Links:

Fact Sheet: African Lion - Why List It as Endangered? 

The US Lion Petition Summary 

Born Free USA (The Endangered Species Act Protection for Lions page)  

                                                              Born Free Foundation 

Here, you can see a video of a Rescued Lion released by Born Free at their sanctuary in Shamwari. His name is Sinbad.

Click HERE to WATCH