Khali was a helpless cub when she was found abandoned in a dumpster in Santa Rosa del Yacuma, Bolivia. Torn from her mother and terrified, she cowered from her rescuers, confused, anxious and starving.
Khali’s mother was likely killed to feed Bolivia’s brutal illegal trade in jaguar bones. We’ll never know for sure, but we do know Khali deserves a different fate.
Jaguar cub Khali was saved from Bolivia’s horrific wildlife trade.
Today, you can help us protect her future.
In Bolivia, jaguars like Khali are killed for their body parts, which are in high demand in Asia for use in unproven traditional ‘medicine.’ Their teeth are particularly sought-after, while their bodies are either left to rot or boiled down into a treacle-like ‘paste’ and sold. Body parts are even smuggled into prisons, where they are fashioned into goods for resale.
Khali was rescued by ONCA Wildlife Sanctuary, a haven for wild animals on the banks of the Amazon’s Beni River. It seems she was discarded by someone who illegally kept her as a pet – but, as so often happens, this wild animal was abandoned when she became less ‘cute’ and harder to handle.
ONCA’s goal is to encourage and maintain Khali’s wild nature, which will be vital to her survival if she is released into a protected forest. Under its care, she has grown into a healthy, wild jaguar.
The team is working hard to ensure Khali is released into a protected natural area – but this could take two years and she needs your help today.
Initially, Khali went on supervised walks with handlers. These are not like the casual dog walks you may be accustomed to – handlers keep a safe distance, do not interact with the animal, and allow the cat to follow its natural instincts as it explores the jungle.
Khali’s natural instincts are now very strong, and for her safety and the safety of her carers, she must stay in her enclosure while ONCA secures the ideal release site and prepares her for the wild.
Her current enclosure is too small for her to truly embrace her wild nature, and unless we can build a larger space, she may start to lose the instincts ONCA has done so well to preserve.
Credit: ONCA Wildlife Sanctuary
The best place for a wild animal is in the wild!
Your donation today will help ensure that a wild animal can remain just that – wild! It will give Khali the room she needs to remain unhabituated, hone her natural instincts, and eventually be released into a safe, protected area where she can embrace her true nature.
With its number of rescue cases constantly increasing, ONCA simply does not have the funds to enlarge Khali’s enclosure – but without it, her entire future is at risk.
Khali needs you to live a wilder life.
