This is how Animal Survival International helped wildlife in danger during January.

It was a challenging start to 2025 as wildfires broke out across Los Angeles, displacing thousands of wild animals and destroying tens of thousands of acres.

Countless animals lost their homes and many were severely injured in the flames. Our supporters helped us rush support to partners on the ground fighting to rescue and treat creatures caught up in the blaze – more on that below.

Amid the challenges, there has been some heartwarming news. Lucy the South African hippo, who our supporters helped care for, has been released back into the wild! And Pai Lin – an elderly elephant our supporters helped in Thailand – continues to thrive in her retirement sanctuary after decades of abuse.

Read on for more updates from December and January.

Ukraine

Gearing up for winter wildlife rescues

Credit: WARC

Our partner in Ukraine, Wild Animal Rescue Center (WARC), works in treacherous war conditions – and now, it must battle bitter temperatures and icy roads as well.

In December, we asked our supporters to help equip WARC’s animal rescue vehicles with winter tires and other essential equipment for safely conducting wildlife rescues during snowy, icy winters. Thanks to our supporters, we were able to fund the tires and additional equipment so our partner can continue to save the embattled animals of Ukraine.

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South Africa – Mpumalanga

Caring for orphaned rhinos over the festive season

Credit: Care for Wild

Our partner, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary, experienced a surge of orphaned rhinos needing emergency care. Each of these four infants, one just six weeks old, needed critical treatment, 24-hour support and the highest quality, species-specific nutrition. The costs of rehabilitating a baby rhino are considerable – let alone four of them! We knew we needed our supporters’ help, and their compassion and generosity has enabled us to provide care for all four rhino infants for an entire month.

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South Africa – Hoedspruit

Giving the gift of water to thirsty elephants

Credit: HERD

We ended the year with a plea for the Jabulani herd of elephants – a close-knit herd of orphaned elephants in South Africa. After surviving the loss of their mothers due to poaching, each one found lifelong sanctuary with our partner, Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD).

Climate change and other factors are causing frequent droughts in the area, which are expected to worsen in the coming years. We want to provide this unique elephant herd with fresh, abundant water all year round.

Our supporters enabled us to get the programme underway. Stay tuned for updates, coming soon.

Read the original article.

Zimbabwe – Zambezi River

Funding a critical drone to combat poaching and snaring

Credit: Zambezi Conservation

Recently, a mother hippo was spotted along the banks of the Zambezi with a wire snare wrapped tightly around her mouth. Terrified and protecting her infant, she darted into the dense vegetation and could not be found by car, foot or boat.

High-tech drones are a vital tool in situations like this. They enable rescuers to spot animals from the sky, even through thick shrubbery, so they can stage quick, effective interventions. They also help identify suspicious activity happening on the ground, so our partners can stop and apprehend poachers.

Through our supporters’ generosity, we have been able to make a significant contribution towards a drone for our partner, the Zambezi Conservation Unit (ZamCon). The team is now redoubling its efforts to find the missing, injured hippo and her calf. We will update our supporters as soon as we have any news.

Read the original article.

United States – Los Angeles

Supporting wildlife saved from devastating fires

Credit: Apu Gomes/Getty

Bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, owls, opossums and countless other species have been left injured, displaced and traumatized after wildfires began sweeping through Los Angeles in early January. Our partner, Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Orange County (WWCC), has been taking in as many animals as it can, and it needed our help to cope with the influx of wildlife in need.

Through our supporters’ generosity, we have been able to help WWCC cover the cost of critical care, including X-rays to check for broken bones, veterinary wipe-downs to remove toxic soot, burn wound treatment, skin grafts, emergency oxygen, and surgery for the severely injured.

Thank you for being an angel to the animals of Los Angeles during this nightmare.

Read the original article.

Follow us on social for these stories and more…

We are continuing to roll out water solutions for wildlife in drought-ravaged Botswana. Thanks to our supporters, we have brought 24-hour access to fresh water for animals in yet another part of the Makgadikgadi National Park. Read more.

Credit: Camelthorn Farmstead

Did you know? Not all the animal rescue videos you see online are legitimate. Here’s how to spot animal abusers posing as heroes, and how to report content that could be harmful, instead of helpful, to animals.

In the news

Baby gorilla rescued from hold of Turkish Airlines. Read more.

‘The forest will survive’: The volunteers saving Kharkiv’s war-charred woodland. Read more.

Alaska to resume ‘barbaric’ shooting of bears and wolves from helicopters. Read more.

As we look ahead to another busy year of helping wild animals in need all around the world, we are so grateful for our supporters, who make all our work possible.

Are you ready to help even more wild animals and the ecosystems they call home? View our latest projects at www.animalsurvival.org now.