Photograph of a male lion standing on dry grass with a blurred natural background of trees and bushes. The lion has a full, dark mane and is looking directly at the camera, highlighting its majestic and powerful presence.

Lifetime Care

Become an essential part of the
Born Free family

Could you become one of our unique Lifetime Carers?

These exceptional supporters are invaluable, and help provide exclusive care for one of our rescued big cats, for life. When you join this small, select group, you’ll become an elite supporter, and an essential part our Born Free Family.

Read on to find out more, or contact our Head of High Value Relationships Alisa O’Malley on [email protected] or call xxxxxxxxxxx

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Where do the cats come from?

Sadly, most have known terrible suffering, rescued from appalling situations and a life of exploitation – including tiny zoo cages, the circus big top, or caught from the wild to be illegally sold as pets.

A lioness in the foreground and male lion in the background, sitting inside a metal cage

Anthea and Raffi in Tenerife

A history of rescue

Born Free’s very first big cat rescue was six tigers from a squalid circus wagon in Kent, flown to a forest sanctuary in India, in 1987. In 1995 we rescued our first lions, Anthea and Raffi, from a squalid rooftop cage in Tenerife, and took them to our sanctuary in South Africa.

Over the years we have rescued and rehomed an incredible 122 big cats – 59 lions, 20 tigers, 14 leopards and 29 cheetahs. We currently provide expert, loving care for life for 21 lions, two tigers, four leopards and eight cheetahs.

What do Lifetime Carers do?

Lifetime Carers make a donation, every year, to fund the care of a chosen, rescued big cat. As a Lifetime Carer, your support will be genuinely life-changing! You’ll transform the life of an individual animal, be the only person helping provide their exclusive care, and become a key member of our dedicated animal care team.

As a Lifetime Carer, you’ll help look after an individual big cat and fund:

CARE

The best possible care for life from our dedicated expert team

NUTRITION

Quality food and nutritional health supplements

HEALTH

Routine health checks and any veterinary treatment needed

STIMULATION

Environmental ‘enrichment’ to keep your chosen cat stimulated and active

SECURITY

Maintenance and security of your chosen cat’s expansive enclosure

And you’ll receive:

⚪ An exclusive and personalised full-colour pledge document

⚪ Two unique updates each year of your chosen cat and a gallery of the latest photos

⚪ An annual video of the big cat you help care for, made especially for you

Which big cats need a Lifetime Carer?

You can choose from three lions based at our Ensessa Kotteh Sanctuary in Ethiopia.

Another rescued lion will soon be relocated to our sanctuary in South Africa, so do get in touch if you’d like to be the first to hear about this opportunity!

Photograph of a lioness resting on grass surrounded by natural vegetation. The lioness appears calm and alert, with detailed fur texture and natural light highlighting its features.

Amalia

Rescued lioness, born 27th April 2014. Amalia was rehomed from a wildlife sanctuary in Djibouti, where she had been receiving dedicated care. Sadly, local authorities insisted that the sanctuary could no longer keep big cats and warned that Amalia would be euthanised if a new home was not found. With the support of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), Born Free offered Amalia a safe, lifelong home at Ensessa Kotteh, where she has lived happily since April 2019.

Photograph of a lioness lying on dry grass in a natural habitat with trees and vegetation in the background. The lioness is facing forward, displaying a calm and alert expression with sunlight highlighting its tawny fur.

Iman

Rescued lioness, born 1st February 2019. Iman was 4-6 weeks old when she was confiscated along with a male cub in March 2019 on the Ethiopian border in Eastern Somaliland. Victims of the illegal wildlife trade, it is suspected that the cubs were taken from their mother in the wild in Ethiopia, and had been destined for the Middle East. Sadly, the male cub died in April 2019, before he reached Ensessa Kotteh, but since arriving at our sanctuary in August 2019, Iman has flourished!

Photograph of a male lion lying on dry grass with a backdrop of green trees and bushes. The lion's mane is full and dark, and it gazes directly at the camera, highlighting its majestic and calm demeanour.

Ngobi

Rescued lion, born in June 2011. Rescued as an adult, Ngobi (also known as Dawud) was being temporarily kept at a police station in Jijiga, the capital city of the Somali Region in Ethiopia, having been seized by the authorities. Ngobi was rescued alongside young male lions Rea and Girma, two cheetah and three antelope, and brought to the safety of Ensessa Kotteh in June 2016. Today Ngobi lives in a spacious enclosure filled with naturally occurring flora and fauna, and enjoys expert care.

Photograph of a young lion cub standing indoors near a doorway with a blue chair and other household items in the background. The cub has large ears, expressive eyes, and a light brown coat with faint spots, highlighting its youthful appearance.

Where did the lions come from?

Mainly victims of the illegal wildlife trade, they were each rescued or rehomed by Born Free.

READ THEIR POIGNANT STORIES

Where do the lions live now?

Photograph of a male lion standing on dry grass with sparse greenery and a tree in background. Lion has a full mane with dark and light brown shades, looking directly at camera in natural habitat.

In spacious natural habitat enclosures, at our world-class Ensessa Kotteh wildlife rescue centre, in Ethiopia – 30 miles from capital city Addis Ababa.

Here they enjoy:

Grassy space to run
Dense undergrowth to explore
Bushes to relax under
Trees to scratch and scent-mark
Daily enrichment, such as scent sacks to tussle, or food treats hidden in a cardboard box to explore

We promise:

✔️ Care of your chosen big cat will be exclusive to you

✔️ We’ll come to you first with any important news

✔️ To never ask other donors for funds to help pay for your cat’s care

How much does it cost?

To become a Lifetime Carer and transform the life of a big cat in need costs £xx,000 per year. We understand some people may not be able to commit to support a big cat for the duration of their life, so we ask for a minimum commitment of three years.

To find out more about becoming an exclusive Lifetime Carer please contact our Head of High Value Relationships Alisa O’Malley on [email protected] or call xxxxxxxxxxx

EMAIL ALISA

Images (c) Peter Ndung’u, Bereket Girma, Cheetah Conservation Foundation.