Born Free secures South Africa’s first accredited big cat sanctuary status
Our Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari Private Game Reserve has been officially recognised for its exceptional standards as a sanctuary by global body GFAS.
King and Thea at Shamwari © Lyndon Brandt
We’re extremely proud to announce that during our 40th anniversary year, our Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari Private Game Reserve has been officially recognised as a true sanctuary. It is the first big cat sanctuary in South Africa to be awarded the accredited status by the Global Federation of Animals Sanctuaries (GFAS), the only internationally recognised organisation providing standards for identifying legitimate animal sanctuaries.
Since Born Free was founded in 1984, we’ve given 52 rescued big cats a safe and permanent home at Shamwari, and this recognition is the result of many hours of hard work from our dedicated team – both in South Africa and in the UK.
The accreditation means that our Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari meets the stringent ethical and operational criteria of a genuine animal sanctuary and is providing humane and responsible care of the animals. To achieve the status, the facilities had to meet GFAS’s rigorous, peer-reviewed animal care standards which were confirmed by a site visit.
Catherine Gillson, Born Free Manager, Shamwari Private Game Reserve said, “We at Born Free, Shamwari, are so proud to have this accreditation from GFAS as a genuine sanctuary. Our primary goal is the holistic well-being of our rescued big cats along with creating awareness about the threats these creatures face in the wild. We hope that sanctuaries like ours are not needed in the coming years, and lions and leopards are only sighted in their natural habitats.”
Kristin Leppert, GFAS Program Director, Wildlife added “We are thrilled to announce the recent Accreditation of Born Free Foundation’s Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari, an outstanding organisation providing a peaceful permanent home and lifelong care to rescued lions and leopards from zoos, circuses and private ownership. Born Free Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari is the first GFAS certified felid sanctuary in South Africa and their steady commitment to this achievement has made all of us at GFAS proud.”