News & Updates

The latest news, blogs and features from Born Free.

Press contact: press@bornfree.org.uk+44 (0)1403 240 170

Eastern lowland gorillas on the brink of extinction

On Sunday 4th September, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that it had placed the Eastern Lowland Gorilla in its ‘Critically Endangered’ Red List category, meaning that the species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. This is the highest category of risk. The next category is ‘Extinct’.

Last lifeline for africa’s elephants?

Latest report confirms Born Free’s prediction - that Africa’s elephants are in a ‘devastating spiral of decline’. International wildlife charity, Born Free Foundation, has described the transcontinental figures released yesterday on savannah elephants as “profoundly sobering”.

Ban on the use of bullhooks on elephants in uk zoos

Born Free Foundation and The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust call for ban on controversial use of the ankus in UK zoos. Two of the world’s leading animal protection charities, the Born Free Foundation and The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, have joined forces to call for an urgent review of the use of bullhooks (sticks with curved, pointed tips, often known as ‘ankuses’) in elephant handling and ask that standard management practice include the use of protective barriers to ensure the welfare and safety of both keepers and elephants across all UK zoos.

Protecting the pangolin

Leading animal welfare and wildlife conservation charity the Born Free Foundation has launched a unique new animal adoption to help protect the world’s most illegally-traded mammal, the pangolin. Pangolin populations are declining rapidly, with one million believed to have been taken from the wild in a recent 10 year period.

Ngamba chimp sanctuary update

This year Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, located on Ngamba Island within Lake Victoria, has been tackling the effects of a significant water level rise which has been washing away jetties and threatening infrastructure.

Dolphin freed from her tank is spotted with her own calf

Chunsam is one of five indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins taken from the wild between 2009 and 2010 and sold to aquariums in South Korea. In 2013 the Korean Supreme Court ruled to release them back into the wild, an operation that was undertaken by Ric O’ Barry’s Dolphin Project and saw Chunsam and the other dolphins released into the wild.

Seeking improved conditions for animals in zoos

In 2012, Born Free’s EU Zoo Inquiry 2011, concluded that the substandard conditions for animals in European zoos, were due to a combination of poor law enforcement and limited knowledge by the competent authorities. These included veterinarians and enforcement agencies that are required to inspect zoos and safeguard the welfare of animals.