Welcome!
© C Dutta
Welcome to powerful paws – FOUR PAWS' international youth club!
If you're an animal lover and looking for some advice on how to help animals, you're in the right place! My name is Cassandra. I’m supporting all powerful paws in the UK and am here to answer your questions. You can send any ideas or suggestions through to me as well, I'm here to help! The website has information about how to help protect animals, as well as news from FOUR PAWS and our international activies for animal welfare. It's completely free to join, so join us today!
Have fun on the website!
Your powerful paws Team
Join our Team!
Watch our new advert from Ukraine - and join our team!
Short Films from Samboja Orangutan Centre
Watch footage from the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Sanctuary in Borneo. FOUR PAWS is working with BOS Indonesia to rehabilitate young orphaned orangutans with eventual release to the wild. Orangutans are nearing extinction due to habitat loss for palm oil production and poaching for the pet trade. These five episodes show how we rehabilitate the orangutans for a life in freedom.
Episode 1 - Samboja Lestari
Episode 2 - Up and Away
Episode 3 - Crises and Crimes
Episode 4 - Food for Thought
Episode 5 - Going Forward
FOUR PAWS Kenya vet unit has had a busy year!
This injured elephant is recovering after having a spear removed from it's head
It is an eventful year for the FOUR PAWS Mobile Veterinary Unit in Kenya, as the team faces an increasing number of poaching injuries in elephants and other wildlife. In April, 32-year old Dr. Jeremiah Poghon replaced Dr. David Ndeereh as head of the unit, after its founder Ndeereh was transferred to the Kenya Wildlife Service, where he is now in charge of lab and field diagnostics. During the first months on the new job, taking on his dream to be working with African wildlife, Jeremiah Poghon had to observe that injuries in elephants and big cats caused by snares and arrow heads are going up dramatically. The team has to cover an incredibly large area in the Tsavo and Amboseli National Parks. Injured animals are often spotted and reported by tourists and patrol personnel.
An emergency call from the Rombo Kenya Wildlife Service Station announced a heavily injured elephant calf. On site, the team identified the calf which had a spear in its head. The young elephant was darted, after giving the vet unit a good chase about the thorny bushes for a full hour. The animal‘s fighting spirit impressed everyone involved and fuelled expectations that it would have the determination to recover in spite of the serious flesh wound. The iron spear was removed. The elephant calf was transported to Voi with the unit’s vehicle and prepared to be airlifted to Nairobi for further treatment. Asked about his prognosis for his brave patient, Dr. Poghon said: "She has a strong will to survive and will live to be the heritage of this country“.
Snare traps are a threat to Kenyan wildlife
In their work, Jeremiah Poghon and his team have to dart and treat wounded elephants almost on a daily basis, mostly limping with injuries to the limbs or trunks – the latter can cause damage to the animals’ sense of balance. Limping wild animals are easy to spot and the treatment is usually a successful one, after which the anaesthesia can be revoked and the animal released on the spot with a sound prognosis to recover rapidly. The increasing number of wire snares is a big threat to Kenyan wildlife, though. An elephant with a snare around his right ear was spotted just in time. The wire had almost split the ear in two and urgently needed to be removed, along with the dead tissue. This elephant was also released with a good prognosis.
The Mobile Veterinary Unit is operated by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in cooperation with The Kenyan Wildlife Service - and funded by FOUR PAWS.
Monti the Bear is rescued from horrendous captivity
Monti looks out sadly from his prison
Several days ago, FOUR PAWS made a terrible discovery in a Bulgarian town. A young bear was confined in terrible conditions in a small building attached to a hotel. Research showed that one and a half year old Monti had been kept caged in the tiny room since shortly after his birth.
Now the young animal is learning what it is like to be a bear as he settles in at FOUR PAWS’ largest bear sanctuary.
Monti is free to explore!
Carsten Hertwig (our bear expert) is relieved and says, "Although Monti is only one and a half years old, he has clearly suffered a lot in the past. He was probably captured and sold after his mother was killed in an illegal hunt. These illegal hunts of animals protected by law continue to take place in Bulgaria, encouraged by irresponsible or unsuspecting hunters from Western Europe. Fortunately, we were able to rescue Monti and can now provide him with a happy life.”
Fortunately the FOUR PAWS team and the Bulgarian authorities were able to move quickly: within three days of the bear’s discovery he was rescued and transferred to our bear sanctuary in Bulgaria. Thankfully, Monti will be able to live the rest of his life free from suffering, as a bear should.
Monti took his first steps in his new home, a natural enclosure in our bear sanctuary. Although the unfamiliar noises coming from the neighbouring enclosures initially confused the young bear, it was obvious he enjoyed the feeling of grass under his feet! Monti eventually relaxed and enjoyed his first meal under open sky.
Seven Lions Safe at LIONSROCK!
Roar!
Five lion cubs from Jordan and two lions from a circus in France have now reached LIONSROCK, bringing the total number of big cats there to 68!
The cubs in their transport box
The young cubs were nervous at first but are now enjoying their new surroundings!
Free to run around!
Animal lover MORRISSEY has given his backing to FOUR PAWS
Animal lover Morrissey has given his backing to FOUR PAWS’s new animation about rabbit factory farming.
Legendary celebrity and singer Morrissey provided the iconic song ‘Everyday is like Sunday’ as the lead soundtrack.
Everyday is like Sunday / everyday is silent and grey /… Etch a postcard: "how I dearly wish I was not here"
Factory farmed caged rabbits have limited space to lie stretched out or sit up on their hind legs. The rabbits are forced to live in cramped and barren conditions. It is not uncommon for bone disorders and foot inflammations to develop, as well as other excruciating conditions. Farmed rabbits may develop neurotic behaviours to relieve the stress caused by their unnatural living conditions.
