Big Cat Rescue Centres - South Africa
- Beautiful Sami is the largest of the rescued leopard triplets
Born Free has two sanctuaries in South Africa for lions and leopards rescued from zoos, circuses and other captive facilities. They are set within the award-winning Shamwari Wildlife Reserve in the Eastern Cape. Our first sanctuary opened in 1996 in the south of reserve and enabled us to rehome two lions and a leopard from their tiny cages on top of a Tenerife restaurant, where they could only one and a half paces in each direction. The following year, thanks to the generosity of the family and friends of young naturalist, Julie Ward, tragically killed in Keya, an education centre was built in her memory at our sanctuary. This allows local children to learn about their own wildlife and about the suffering wildlife can endure in captivity. There is currently three leopards and four lions living in the massive one-two hectare natural habitat enclosures at the first sanctuary.
- Kuma currently lives on his own at the 2nd sanctuary
The second sanctuary is in the north of Shamwari and currently home to one leopard and five lions in the two hectare camps. This sanctuary and education centre was completed in 2006, thanks to a wonderful donation from South African supporter Jean Byrd, and generous sponsors.
The bush enclosures at Shamwari give the lions and leopards the space and privacy they so desperately need. Visitors are allowed but are confined to one viewing platform at each camp. The cats now have the choice whether they can be seen or not.
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