In the Eastern Cape of South Africa, WeWild Africa spearheaded a major rescue operation at the now-closed Seaview “Park.”  The story began with a critical situation involving a tiger that had tragically killed a person. Faced with local government and community calls for the tiger to be shot, WeWild Africa intervened with a different plan: rescue and relocation. The tiger was moved in a rapid response intervention to Lions Rock Sanctuary in the Free State Province.

This initial rescue opened our eyes to a broader need at Seaview. We realized that many animals, including 35 big cats and various smaller species, were in need of relocation to better environments. This led to a series of rescue operations for all of the animals.

One of the most notable relocations was moving tigers, lions, and a black leopard to the Three Valleys facility in the Eastern Cape, a sanctuary offering a more natural and healthier habitat.

With these operations, we hope to change the narrative around wildlife in captivity and highlight the importance of ethical treatment and proper habitat.

Some of the other animals rescued were black leopard, lion, black-backed jackal and caracal.

To read about a particular caracal kitten’s successful rewilding story to Mount Camdeboo, click here.