IT IS NOW THE #KUWAIT6! After shy, 18-month-old Aziza joined the passenger list for the flight to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa, we are six! The six young lions – Saif, Dhubiya, Muheeb, Saham, Shujaa, and Aziza – have all been rescued from the illegal wildlife pet trade in the Middle East.
They are victims of a trade which exploits vanity and the foolish desire to have a lion as a status symbol. All the lions were less than 2 years old when they were either surrendered, confiscated, or captured after being abandoned by owners trying to avoid prosecution for having an illegal pet. We are grateful to the Kuwait Zoo for taking the lions in and caring for them until they could be moved.
And grateful thanks to Qatar Airways Cargo, who will move the lions free of charge as part of their WeQare scheme.
The updated CITES export permits to include Aziza have been issued in Kuwait; CITES South Africa has received the updated application with Aziza added and is working to expedite the import permits. We are hopeful everything will be in place to move the lions in the first two weeks of May. Please help fund the lifetime care for these youngsters – they will be with us for about 20 years and will need you to stand by them.
LIONS SHOULD NEVER BE PETS. No, they don’t want to live in your house and they want to be with their own family and choose what they want to do each day – independence, not learned dependency. Some owners realize too late that the cub they handled is growing fast, getting stronger and has a huge appetite! SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE KEEPING OF BIG CATS AS PETS.
To donate towards these young lions' lifetime care:  https://act.ad-international.org/page/143210/donate/1

Ralphie Update from my friend Robert:

We picked him up last night from our neighbor, who has been taking amazing care of him since the incident. He followed me back to our house, about 25 yards, and I took him inside. We have our resident cat, Fupa, put away in a spare bedroom during the introduction period because there's a process to introducing two male cats and it takes time. Ralphie explored the house for a while and we showed him where his cat box, food and water are located. He played, explored, ate and then snuggled. He's adjusting quite well to being a tripod cat! He actually runs fast when he has the zoomies! A big thank you to our neighbor Nikki for everything she has done. Without her care, love and patience, Ralphie wouldn't be doing as well as he is. Also, a big thank you to everyone who donated to Ralphie's GoFundMe campaign and to all of your positive thoughts and prayers, including Christopher Smith of Reckoning for the care package for Ralphie! It's because of everyone's kindness and generosity that we were able to save Ralphie! Here's a few photos from the last 17 hours he's been with us. Thank you again... 🥹❤️🙏🏼