A Look Back on 2023…
2023 has been another momentous year for Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in animal rescue. Notably, with the crucial help of our supporters and donors, we rehomed two female tigers, Softi and Toph.
Bred in captivity in Italy, in October 2019 they were found in small crates in the back of a horse box starving, dehydrated, and filthy. They were confiscated at the Belarussian border and were cared for at a Sanctuary in Spain before finding their permanent home with us in May 2023.
Together our donors raised over £14,000 to help care for Softi and Toph and get them settled in their new habitat. Just one example of the generosity and commitment of our donors is our amazing volunteer, Sarah Whitter, who raised over £6,000 by shaving her head!
With the help of our staff, volunteers, Trustees, and our supporters, we accomplished so much this year. Here are just a few of our achievements:
- Our wonderful rescue servals, Tafkap and Xirus, launched the first ever World Serval Day, an internationally-recognised day advocating for the end of animal cruelty and the hybrid cat trade
- Our dedicated volunteers put in over 6,000 hours of work. That’s more than 250 days of volunteer service!
- We gave more than 7,200 students (from the mainland and Isle of Wight) a unique educational experience, showing them how they can give the best care to our animal friends and the fascinating science behind it all
- Our fantastic. first-of-its-kind, home education gardening club has produced over 40 wheelbarrows of food for our animals and grown the confidence of our participants!
- We launched the Island’s first ever Focus on Conservation and Science (FOCAS) festival, with over 20 stallholders and over 1,000 visitors
- With the help of Ability Dogs 4 Young people, we created a safe route to allow assistance dogs on site, while still respecting the welfare of our animal residents and the assistance dogs
- We welcomed a brand-new white-clawed crayfish breeding programme with the Bristol Zoological Society and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, a unique opportunity to introduce this critically endangered native species to Hampshire and surrounding areas. This will be open to the public in early 2024.
Celebrate the Season of Giving
Help us Celebrate Christmas at Wildheart!
Christmas is the season of giving and at Wildheart, we are hoping to raise funds to help us give our animals the best care possible! Any amount you are able to donate can make a huge difference in the lives of these beautiful creatures.
Here are just some of the ways your donation can help:
- Ensure vital veterinary care: keeping our animals healthy costs more than £20,000 a year. Our rescue animals come to us with a number of physical and psychological concerns after their difficult start in life. This means they have unique health issues that require specialised care to allow them to live long and healthy lives.
- Create enrichment: To help our animals thrive, we provide enrichment opportunities, like innovative toys and treats that keep them active and tap into their natural instincts.
- Update habitats and maintain our site: just like us, our animal residents sometimes need home improvements, from small adjustments to huge overhauls, like our recent lemur dome installation. Your donation allows us to keep our residents safe and happy in their habitats.
- Purchase food: our animals eat more than £40,000 of food every year! Your donations, including food donations, help ensure we meet this huge need!
Please consider donating today to help us reach our goal of £10,000 before January 1, 2024. Every donation is even more important and impactful in this tough economic climate.
From our Wildheart family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
