World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/complete-cat-care-guide): The Complete Cat Care Guide: Food, Shelter, Veterinary Care and Community Cats.

Time the seizure, keep away from edges and stairs, vet immediately if longer than 2 minutes or if first ever.

Do not give human medication.

Paracetamol is fatal to cats.

Ibuprofen is fatal to cats.

Lily plants — including pollen on a cat's coat — are fatal.

Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) is fatal in tiny quantities.

How a cat charity supports cats globally A serious cat charity in 2026 does three things well: it funds direct veterinary care, it builds capacity for community cats through TNVR, and it supports responsible in-country adoption.

What it does not do is treat community cats as a nuisance to be removed or rely on long-distance international relocation as its primary intervention.

Long-distance relocation helps one animal at a time; TNVR and partner-funded cat shelter capacity help thousands.

When choosing a cat charity to support, look for: Registered charity status with up-to-date accounts.

A clear veterinary policy and a published TNVR or community cat strategy.

Honest reporting on outcomes, not just intake.

A focus on the populations of cats who are most under-served — community cats, cats in countries with little or no cat-shelter infrastructure, cats in the meat trade.

How WARN fits in World Animal Rescue Network is a UK not-for-profit animal welfare organisation in its launch stage.

We do not run UK cat adoptions — if you searched for a local cat charity to adopt from, please support a UK rescue or shelter.

Where we focus is the cats almost no one else funds: community cats across our partner network in Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan — with other regions such as Vietnam, Kenya and Tanzania as wider context — the cats caught up in the Southeast Asian meat trade, and the broader population of free-roaming cats living in cities with little to no veterinary cover.

When a cat dies Every cat care journey ends the same way, and it is one of the hardest parts of loving a cat.

If you have recently lost a cat, our pet loss support guide covers cremation, talking to children, and recognising grief, and our in memory giving page explains how a tribute for a cat helps community cats overseas.

Help the cats WARN is being built for WARN's Global Cat Protection Appeal will fund partner cat rescue and cat shelter capacity across Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya and beyond — humane catch-neuter-vaccinate-return work, veterinary care for injured community cats, and responsible in-country cat adoption for rescue cats who can be safely rehomed.

Read the Global Cat Protection Appeal for the full plan, or donate today to fund our first surgeries, vaccinations and cat shelter weeks.

Every pound helps another rescue cat get a fair start.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/complete-dog-care-guide): The Complete Dog Care Guide: Food, Training, Veterinary Care and Rescue Dogs.

## Summary
Good dog care means daily fresh water, two age-appropriate meals, at least one structured walk plus mental enrichment, an annual vet check with up-to-date vaccinations, neutering when veterinary-appropriate, regular flea, tick and worm prevention, ongoing positive-reinforcement training, and — for rescue dogs and street dogs — patient settling time and a trusted dog charity providing veterinary backup.

## Excerpt
Everything responsible dog owners and rescue carers need to know — daily care, food, exercise, training, vaccinations, neutering, common emergencies and how a dog charity like WARN supports street dogs and rescue dogs globally.

## Takeaway
Adult dogs need at least 30-60 minutes of daily exercise; rescue dogs and working breeds need significantly more, plus mental enrichment.

## Takeaway
Vaccinations against distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis and rabies are non-negotiable; rabies vaccination is required by law in most countries.

## Takeaway
Neuter when veterinary-appropriate — most vets now recommend 6-18 months depending on breed and size.

## Takeaway
Use the 3-3-3 rule for rescue dogs: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to settle, 3 months to fully relax into their new home.

## Takeaway
When choosing a dog charity to support, look for registered status, clear veterinary policies, and a focus on the dog populations most under-served — particularly street dogs in countries with no shelter infrastructure.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/complete-dog-care-guide): The Complete Dog Care Guide: Food, Training, Veterinary Care and Rescue Dogs.

## Briefing
Dogs are the most loved companion animal on the planet — and, paradoxically, the most under-served at population scale.

In the countries WARN is preparing to work in, hundreds of thousands of dogs live without veterinary cover, vaccination or any path to a safe home.

Whether you live with a pet dog, foster for a UK rescue, or quietly look after community dogs in your neighbourhood, the principles of good dog care are the same.

This guide covers everything responsible carers should know, and goes further than most published care sheets on three under-covered topics: rescue-dog decompression, street-dog welfare, and recognising serious illness early.

Daily care: food, water, exercise, rest Dogs are omnivores with a strong preference for animal protein.

Their needs vary by size, breed, age and activity level, but the daily essentials do not.

Two age-appropriate meals.

Puppies under 6 months need 3-4 smaller meals.

Adult dogs do best on two meals at consistent times.

Avoid free-feeding — it contributes to obesity and makes house training harder.

Life-stage food.

Puppy food (large- and small-breed specific), adult food, senior food.

Large-breed puppies in particular need specifically formulated food to avoid skeletal problems from growing too fast.

Fresh water, always.

Replace at least daily.

Stainless steel or ceramic — plastic harbours bacteria.

Daily exercise — minimum 30-60 minutes.

Working breeds (Labradors, Collies, Spaniels, Huskies, German Shepherds, most rescue mongrels with strong drive) need 90 minutes or more.

Under-exercised dogs are difficult dogs.

Mental enrichment.

Sniffing on walks, food puzzles, scent games, training sessions.

Five minutes of nose work tires a dog more than fifteen minutes of fetch.

Rest.

Adult dogs sleep 12-14 hours a day.

Puppies and seniors need more.

A quiet space the dog can retreat to — uninterrupted — is non-negotiable.

Training: positive reinforcement, nothing else The international veterinary and behavioural consensus — from the British Veterinary Association to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior — is unambiguous: positive reinforcement is more effective than aversive training, and aversive methods (choke chains, prong collars, e-collars, "alpha rolls") are associated with increased aggression and anxiety.

Reward what you want, ignore what you do not.

Mark good behaviour the moment it happens, with a marker word ("yes") or a clicker, followed by a small high-value treat.

Train little and often.

Three to five 2-minute sessions a day beats one 30-minute session.

Socialise early and carefully.

The critical socialisation window in puppies is roughly 3-14 weeks.

Use it.

Controlled, positive exposure to different people, dogs, surfaces, sounds and environments sets a dog up for life.

Recall is the single most important command.

Practise daily on a long line.

A reliable recall is worth more than any other skill.

If you are struggling, get help early.

A good qualified behaviourist (in the UK, look for ABTC-registered) is cheaper than rehoming.

Veterinary care: the non-negotiables Annual health check.

Weight, dental, heart, joints.

Bloods from age 7-8 in most breeds; earlier for large and giant breeds.

Core vaccinations.

Distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus), parvovirus and parainfluenza.

Plus rabies vaccination, which is legally required in most countries and is universally recommended by WHO and WOAH for any dog with potential exposure.

Leptospirosis vaccination.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/complete-dog-care-guide): The Complete Dog Care Guide: Food, Training, Veterinary Care and Rescue Dogs.

Strongly recommended in the UK and any country with significant rodent or freshwater exposure.

Neutering.

Timing depends on breed and size.

Small dogs: typically 6-12 months.

Large and giant dogs: often 12-18 months to allow skeletal development.

Discuss with your vet.

Microchipping.

Legally required in the UK and the single most effective intervention against permanent loss.

Parasite prevention.

Monthly flea, tick and lungworm prevention.

Worming every 1-3 months.

Dental care.

Daily tooth-brushing if possible; failing that, dental chews and an annual scale-and-polish.

Periodontal disease is the most common chronic disease in dogs.

Rescue dogs: the 3-3-3 rule If you are bringing home a rescue dog , the most useful framework you will ever read is the 3-3-3 rule.

Most failed adoptions fail because new owners expect the dog to be themselves on day one.

First 3 days — decompression.

The dog is overwhelmed.

Expect a quiet, withdrawn, possibly unsettled dog.

Keep visitors away.

Establish a routine.

No visitors, no overstimulation, no off-lead walks.

A safe quiet space the dog can choose to retreat to is essential.

First 3 weeks — settling.

The dog starts to learn your routine and test the boundaries.

Behaviour you did not see in the first three days starts to appear.

This is normal.

Keep training calm, consistent and reward-based.

First 3 months — bonding.

The dog's true personality emerges.

By month three, most rescue dogs are fully relaxed.

If you are still struggling at the three-month mark, get professional help — do not rehome without trying.

Street dogs and community dogs: a different welfare problem Across the countries WARN is preparing to work in — Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kenya, Tanzania — millions of dogs live as community dogs, neither pets nor strays in any meaningful sense.

They are descended from generations of dogs who have lived alongside people, often deeply bonded to their territory and to specific feeders, but with no formal owner.

The internationally recognised approach to community-dog welfare — endorsed by the World Health Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and large humane organisations — is catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) .

Done at scale (≈70% sterilisation coverage), CNVR stabilises and then reduces the dog population, virtually eliminates dog-mediated human rabies, dramatically improves individual welfare, and is the only approach that works long-term.

Culling does not work and has been formally rejected by WHO as a control strategy.

Recognising serious illness — the warning signs Dogs are slightly more honest than cats about being unwell, but they still hide pain.

The following warrant an urgent vet visit: Vomiting more than twice in 24 hours, or with blood.

Diarrhoea with blood, or lasting more than 48 hours.

Lethargy combined with not eating — particularly in puppies, where it can indicate parvovirus.

Bloated, hard abdomen, especially in deep-chested breeds.

Suspect gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV / "bloat").

Veterinary emergency — fatal within hours.

Pale gums.

Suggests anaemia or internal bleeding.

Difficulty breathing, blue-tinged gums.

Emergency.

Collapse or seizure.

Emergency.

Suspected poisoning.

Chocolate, grapes, raisins, xylitol (in sugar-free gum), onions, garlic, alcohol, paracetamol, ibuprofen, antifreeze.

Bring the packaging.

Vet immediately.

First aid basics Bleeding: direct pressure with clean cloth, vet immediately.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/complete-dog-care-guide): The Complete Dog Care Guide: Food, Training, Veterinary Care and Rescue Dogs.

Heatstroke: wet the dog with cool (not cold) water, fan, vet immediately.

Heatstroke is fatal — do not delay.

Choking: visible object only — gently remove.

Otherwise straight to vet.

Insect stings and snake bites: keep the dog calm, minimise movement, vet immediately.

Burns: cool water for at least ten minutes, vet.

Never give human medication.

Paracetamol is highly toxic to dogs at moderate doses; ibuprofen damages dog kidneys; aspirin should only be given under veterinary direction.

Always check before any new food — the list of dog-toxic foods is longer than people realise.

Hot weather, cold weather, fireworks: predictable emergencies Hot weather.

Walk early morning and late evening.

Test pavement with the back of your hand — if it is too hot for your hand for five seconds, it is too hot for paws.

Never leave a dog in a car.

Cars become fatal ovens in minutes.

Cold weather.

Short-coated dogs (Greyhounds, Whippets, Staffies, most rescue mongrels) genuinely benefit from coats below about 5°C.

Watch for ice between toes.

Wipe paws after walks to remove grit and salt.

Fireworks and storms.

A safe space, background sound (white noise, calm music), and — for severely affected dogs — prescribed anti-anxiety medication from your vet.

Counter-conditioning works best when started months in advance.

How a dog charity supports dogs globally A serious dog charity in 2026 does three things well: it funds direct veterinary care for dogs in trouble, it backs CNVR for community-dog populations at scale, and it supports responsible in-country adoption pathways.

When choosing a dog charity to support, look for: Registered charity status with up-to-date accounts.

A clear veterinary policy and a published approach to free-roaming dog welfare.

Honest reporting on outcomes, not just intake.

A focus on the dog populations most under-served — particularly street and community dogs in countries with no shelter infrastructure.

How WARN fits in World Animal Rescue Network is a UK not-for-profit animal welfare organisation in its launch stage.

We do not run UK dog adoptions — if you searched for a local dog charity to adopt from, please support a UK rescue or shelter.

Where we focus is the dogs almost no one else funds: community dogs in Karachi and across South Asia, dogs caught up in the Southeast Asian meat trade, and the broader population of free-roaming dogs living in cities with little to no veterinary cover.

Your support funds the rescue dogs we are being built for.

When a dog dies The hardest part of loving a dog is the last part.

If you have recently lost a dog, our pet loss support guide covers cremation, talking to children and recognising grief, and our in memory giving page explains how a tribute for a dog helps street dogs that cannot be adopted out of trouble.

Help the rescue dogs WARN is being built for WARN's launch programme in Karachi will fund partner dog rescues and the animal shelter capacity they urgently need — humane catch-neuter-vaccinate-return work, veterinary care for injured street dogs, and responsible in-country adoption of rescue dogs into safe Pakistani homes.

Read the Karachi street dogs appeal for the full plan, or donate today to fund our first surgeries, vaccinations and shelter weeks.

Every pound helps another rescue dog get a fair start.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/snow-leopard-endangered): The Snow Leopard: Why the Ghost of the Mountains Is Still Vulnerable.

## Summary
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a Vulnerable big cat native to the high mountains of twelve Central and South Asian countries, with an estimated 4,000-6,500 individuals globally — a population so thinly spread that even small annual losses to poaching and retaliatory killing can push regional sub-populations toward extinction.

## Excerpt
The snow leopard is one of the most elusive big cats on earth, with an estimated 4,000-6,500 individuals across twelve range states — including Pakistan, where WARN is preparing to operate. This briefing explains why the species was downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2017 and why that is not the success story it sounds like.

## Takeaway
Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; downlisted from Endangered in 2017 on the basis of new survey methods, not population recovery.

## Takeaway
Estimated global population is 4,000-6,500 individuals across twelve range states including Pakistan, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia and the Central Asian republics.

## Takeaway
Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hold an estimated 200-420 individuals, making Pakistan one of WARN's priority snow leopard countries.

## Takeaway
Three biggest threats: retaliatory killing for livestock predation, poaching for pelts and bones, and prey depletion from competing livestock.

## Takeaway
Community-based conservancies and livestock insurance schemes have shown the most consistent reductions in retaliatory killing.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/snow-leopard-endangered): The Snow Leopard: Why the Ghost of the Mountains Is Still Vulnerable.

## Briefing
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is the most elusive of the world's big cats. It lives between roughly 3,000 and 5,500 metres in the great mountain ranges of Central and South Asia — the Himalayas, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Pamirs, Tien Shan and Altai — and is so rarely seen that local Himalayan languages call it the "ghost of the mountains." For decades, scientists worked with population estimates that were essentially educated guesses. WARN is preparing to operate in Pakistan , which is home to one of the most important snow leopard populations outside China. The country's Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions hold an estimated 200-420 individuals — a meaningful share of the global wild population. How many snow leopards are left? The most credible global estimate, based on systematic camera-trap and genetic surveys, places the wild snow leopard population at 4,000-6,500 individuals . The species was downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2017 — but this reflected better counting methods, not a recovering population. Many conservation biologists believe the species is still declining in the most poorly-surveyed parts of its range. The three biggest threats Retaliatory killing. The single largest direct cause of snow leopard mortality. When a snow leopard takes goats or sheep from a remote herder's corral, the economic loss is severe — and the response is often a poisoning or a shooting. WHO and WOAH-aligned animal-welfare workers in the region report that the most effective interventions are predator-proof corrals and livestock-insurance schemes. Poaching. Snow leopard pelts and bones are trafficked into the same illegal markets that drive tiger poaching, with bones increasingly used as a tiger-bone substitute in some traditional-medicine supply chains. UNODC has repeatedly flagged the bones-and-skins trade as a transnational organised-crime issue. Prey depletion. Snow leopards rely on wild blue sheep, ibex, markhor and argali. Where livestock displaces these wild ungulates, snow leopards turn to domestic animals, escalating conflict and the retaliatory-killing cycle. What works: community conservancies and corrals The most consistently successful snow leopard projects in Pakistan, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan combine three elements: predator-proof corrals built into community livestock infrastructure, livestock insurance schemes that compensate herders for verified predator losses, and community-led wildlife conservancies that share tourism or research income with villages that protect snow leopards. Where all three operate, retaliatory killing drops sharply. How WARN fits in WARN's planned Pakistan programme is principally a street-dog welfare programme (see our Karachi street dogs appeal ) — but snow leopard country is the same country, and we expect to support partner work on retaliatory-killing prevention in the high north as our Pakistan operations mature. We do not currently fund snow leopard fieldwork ourselves and we will not pretend otherwise. Sources: IUCN Red List, UNEP-WCMC, CITES Appendix I listing, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/are-african-lions-endangered): The African Lion: Vulnerable, Declining, and Disappearing From Most of Africa.

## Summary
The African lion (Panthera leo) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated 23,000-39,000 wild individuals across Sub-Saharan Africa; numbers have fallen by roughly 43% over three lion generations, driven primarily by habitat loss, retaliatory killing and prey depletion.

## Excerpt
African lion numbers have fallen by an estimated 43% over three generations, and the species is now extinct across more than 90% of its historic range. Kenya and Tanzania — two countries WARN plans to expand into — hold some of the last strongholds.

## Takeaway
Listed as Vulnerable globally; the West African lion subpopulation is Critically Endangered.

## Takeaway
Estimated 23,000-39,000 wild lions remain across Sub-Saharan Africa.

## Takeaway
Range has contracted by more than 90% from historic levels.

## Takeaway
Kenya and Tanzania together hold some of the largest remaining lion populations in East Africa.

## Takeaway
Snares set for bushmeat are a major cause of non-targeted lion mortality — a direct overlap with WARN's planned East Africa snare-removal work.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/are-african-lions-endangered): The African Lion: Vulnerable, Declining, and Disappearing From Most of Africa.

## Briefing
The African lion (Panthera leo) is the most recognisable of all African wildlife, and one of the most steeply declining. The IUCN's most recent assessment estimates that lion numbers have fallen by approximately 43% over three lion generations — roughly 21 years. The species is now extinct across more than 90% of its historic range, and the West African subpopulation is listed as Critically Endangered. WARN is preparing to operate in Kenya and Tanzania , two of the East African strongholds that together hold a meaningful proportion of the remaining global wild lion population. How many wild lions are left? The IUCN Red List gives a global wild population estimate of 23,000-39,000 individuals . The bulk are in East and Southern Africa — Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique — with smaller populations in Central and West Africa. The drivers of lion decline Habitat loss and prey depletion. Lion ranges are being converted to farmland and grazing land for cattle, and the wild ungulates lions depend on are being replaced by livestock. Retaliatory killing. Lions that take cattle are routinely poisoned or speared. Poisons, particularly agricultural carbamates, kill not only the offending lion but vultures and scavengers that feed on the carcass. Snaring. Wire snares set for bushmeat species — wildebeest, zebra, antelope — regularly catch lions as bycatch. This is the exact problem WARN's work on bushmeat snares is designed to address. Illegal wildlife trade. Lion bones, claws and teeth are trafficked into the same Southeast Asian markets that drive tiger and snow leopard demand. CITES has tightened controls on lion-bone exports. What is working Predator-proof "boma" corrals, community-based conservancies that share tourism revenue with pastoralist communities, and verified livestock-compensation schemes have all produced measurable reductions in retaliatory lion killing in Kenya. Anti-snaring patrols and rapid-response veterinary darting are the standard tools for lions caught in snares. How WARN fits in Lions are not WARN's main programme — we are not building lion-specific rescue capacity from scratch. But our planned work in Kenya and Tanzania directly addresses one of the largest causes of non-targeted lion injury and death, and our partner work supports the wider East African anti-poaching and welfare ecosystem in which lion recovery happens. Sources: IUCN Red List, UNEP-WCMC, CITES Appendix II listing, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/sun-bear-facts): The Sun Bear: The World's Smallest Bear and the World's Most Overlooked.

## Summary
The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest of the world's eight bear species, a Vulnerable forest bear of mainland Southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands; populations are estimated to have declined by at least 30% over the last three decades because of deforestation, the illegal pet trade and the bear-bile industry.

## Excerpt
The sun bear is the smallest bear species on earth and one of the least understood. Listed as Vulnerable, it survives in fragmented forests across Southeast Asia — including Indonesia and Malaysia in WARN's partner network.

## Takeaway
Smallest of the eight extant bear species — adults rarely exceed 70 kg.

## Takeaway
Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; CITES Appendix I.

## Takeaway
Range covers Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia; Indonesia and Malaysia are in WARN's current partner network.

## Takeaway
Three biggest threats: deforestation, the illegal pet trade in cubs, and the bear-bile industry.

## Takeaway
Often confused with the larger Asiatic black bear (moon bear); both species are exploited for bile.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/sun-bear-facts): The Sun Bear: The World's Smallest Bear and the World's Most Overlooked.

## Briefing
The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest bear species in the world. Adults rarely exceed 70 kg, with a sleek black coat, a distinctive U-shaped or crescent-shaped cream chest patch, and an unusually long tongue adapted for extracting insects and honey. It is sometimes called the "honey bear" or "Malayan sun bear." Sun bears live across Southeast Asia — Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia — with Indonesia and Malaysia in WARN's current partner network, which makes them one of the more directly relevant species for the kind of work our launch programmes are being built to support. What makes sun bears unique Smallest of the eight extant bear species, with a body length of 120-150 cm. Diet is omnivorous but unusually insect-heavy — termites, beetle larvae and bee colonies are major food sources. One of the most arboreal bears: they build daytime nests in trees and rest 5-10 m above ground. Critically dependent on dipterocarp lowland rainforest, which is the most heavily logged forest type in Southeast Asia. Why sun bears are Vulnerable Deforestation. Sun bear habitat overlaps almost exactly with the highest-demand timber and palm-oil concessions in Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and the lower Mekong. UNEP reports consistent annual primary-forest loss across all five range countries. Illegal pet trade. Sun bear cubs are taken from killed mothers and sold openly in some urban wildlife markets. They grow large, strong and dangerous, and are routinely abandoned to wildlife authorities within 2-3 years of capture. Bear-bile industry. Sun bear gall bladders are trafficked into the same traditional-medicine market that drives the bile-farming of Asiatic black bears ( moon bears ) in Vietnam, Laos and China. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has identified bear-bile farming as a serious welfare and biosecurity concern. Snares and conflict killing. Snares set for bushmeat species regularly catch sun bears as bycatch; bears that raid bee-hives or crops are killed in retaliation. Rescue work Most rescued sun bears in the region come from one of three sources: confiscation from the pet trade, surrender from defunct bile farms, or rescue from wildlife markets. Almost none can be released — most have been hand-reared, have skeletal deformities from cage life, or carry diseases that disqualify them from soft-release. They become lifetime sanctuary residents. How WARN fits in Sun bears are not yet a stand-alone WARN appeal, but they will be a major beneficiary of our planned Southeast Asia anti-trafficking and sanctuary support work. Our orangutan appeal in Borneo, our dog and cat meat trade briefing in Vietnam and Cambodia, and our planned Indonesia and Malaysia deployments will all operate in the same forests, against the same traffickers, and through the same partner networks that rescue sun bears. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, UNEP-WCMC, WOAH bear-bile policy positions. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/sumatran-tiger-critically-endangered): The Sumatran Tiger: The Last Tigers of Indonesia.

## Summary
The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) is a Critically Endangered tiger population native to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, with an estimated fewer than 400 wild individuals remaining — the last surviving tiger population in Indonesia after the documented extinctions of the Javan and Bali tigers in the 20th century.

## Excerpt
The Sumatran tiger is the only surviving Indonesian tiger subspecies — the Javan and Bali tigers are already extinct. Fewer than an estimated 400 wild individuals remain, all on a single island.

## Takeaway
The smallest of the surviving tiger populations, with adults rarely exceeding 140 kg.

## Takeaway
Estimated fewer than 400 wild individuals remain, all on the island of Sumatra.

## Takeaway
Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List; CITES Appendix I.

## Takeaway
Indonesia is one of WARN's partner-network countries — the same country as our Borneo orangutan programme.

## Takeaway
Major threats: poaching for trade in skins and bones, palm-oil and pulp-wood deforestation, and snaring as bycatch.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/sumatran-tiger-critically-endangered): The Sumatran Tiger: The Last Tigers of Indonesia.

## Briefing
The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) is the only tiger population still alive in Indonesia. The Javan tiger was declared extinct in the 1970s; the Bali tiger was lost decades earlier. The Sumatran tiger is the smallest of the surviving tigers and one of the most genetically distinct. WARN's planned Indonesia programme — best known so far for our orangutan appeal in Kalimantan — operates in the same country, against the same drivers of forest loss, and through the same kinds of partner relationships that any tiger work in Sumatra requires. How many Sumatran tigers are left? Reliable camera-trap and DNA-survey estimates place the wild population at under 400 individuals , fragmented across protected areas on Sumatra including Gunung Leuser, Kerinci Seblat, Bukit Barisan Selatan and Way Kambas national parks. The IUCN Red List lists the population as Critically Endangered. The threats Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Tiger skins, bones, teeth and claws move through the same trafficking networks that the UNODC has repeatedly identified as transnational organised crime. Sumatran tiger parts have been seized in markets in Sumatra itself, in Java, and onwards in Vietnam and China. Deforestation. Sumatra has lost an estimated half of its remaining lowland rainforest in the last three decades to palm-oil, pulp-wood and small-holder agriculture. Tiger ranges are being reduced to disconnected fragments. Snaring. Wire snares set for bushmeat regularly catch tigers as bycatch. A snared tiger that escapes often dies later of infected limb wounds. Human-tiger conflict. Tigers displaced from cleared forest enter villages and plantations, where retaliatory killing is common. Rescue and sanctuary realities Almost no rescued Sumatran tiger can be returned to the wild. Confiscated cubs are usually too habituated; adults rescued from market or conflict situations frequently have injuries that disqualify release. Lifetime sanctuary care, with the genetic-value option of a managed conservation-breeding programme, is the standard outcome. How WARN fits in Our planned tiger work reflects our ambition to fund partner-led tiger rescue in Asia as our Indonesia operations mature. We are not running our own Sumatran tiger sanctuary and we are not asking supporters to fund work we have not yet built. We are asking supporters to back the country-level capacity — Indonesian veterinary teams, snare-removal patrols, anti-trafficking intelligence — that any future Sumatran tiger work depends on. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, UNEP-WCMC, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/asian-elephant-endangered): The Asian Elephant: Endangered, Shrinking and Largely Captive.

## Summary
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is an Endangered species native to thirteen range states across South and Southeast Asia, with an estimated 41,000-52,000 wild individuals; roughly a third of all Asian elephants alive today live in captivity, most of them in tourist or working-elephant contexts.

## Excerpt
The Asian elephant is listed as Endangered, with around 41,000-52,000 wild individuals remaining across thirteen range states. Roughly a third of all Asian elephants alive today live in captivity — many of them in countries where WARN is preparing to operate.

## Takeaway
Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List; CITES Appendix I.

## Takeaway
Estimated 41,000-52,000 wild Asian elephants remain.

## Takeaway
Roughly a third of all Asian elephants alive today live in captivity.

## Takeaway
Thailand alone holds an estimated 3,000-4,000 captive elephants, mostly in the tourism industry.

## Takeaway
Major Asian elephant range states include India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia; WARN's in-network elephant focus is Indonesia and Malaysia.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/asian-elephant-endangered): The Asian Elephant: Endangered, Shrinking and Largely Captive.

## Briefing
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is one of the most heavily intertwined large mammals with human society — and one of the most welfare-compromised. Around a third of every Asian elephant alive today is in captivity, in working camps, religious institutions or tourist attractions. WARN is preparing to operate in India , Sri Lanka , Thailand and Cambodia , all Asian elephant range states. Thailand alone holds an estimated 3,000-4,000 captive elephants — a number that, for the size of the country, indicates a captive-welfare crisis as much as a wild-population crisis. How Asian elephants differ from African elephants Smaller body size; adults typically 2.5-3 tonnes. Rounded ears, more domed forehead, smaller tusks (often only in males). Two body humps along the back rather than one. Far more often kept in captivity, with a long cultural history of working-elephant traditions. See our explainer on Asian vs African elephants for a fuller comparison. The threats Habitat loss. Forest conversion to agriculture, plantations and infrastructure has fragmented Asian elephant range across all thirteen countries. Human-elephant conflict. Crop-raiding elephants are killed in retaliation; elephant retaliation kills hundreds of people each year. Both sides of the conflict cause unacceptable welfare outcomes. Captive-welfare crisis. The tourism industry in Thailand, working camps in Myanmar and Laos, and temple-elephant traditions in India and Sri Lanka all hold elephants under conditions that frequently fail basic welfare standards — chained for long hours, denied conspecific contact, and trained with aversive methods. Illegal trade. Live calves are still trafficked into the tourism trade; ivory from male tuskers continues to enter international markets despite CITES controls. What good captive-elephant welfare looks like The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and credible elephant-welfare specialists agree on a short list of core minimums: no chaining for routine handling, no riding, no performance shows, large-area soft substrates, daily conspecific contact, expert-led foot care and a published veterinary plan. How WARN fits in Our planned Thailand and Cambodia work focuses on the welfare end of the elephant problem — supporting partner sanctuaries that provide lifetime care for retired tourism elephants, and contributing to capacity-building for high-quality captive-elephant veterinary teams. We do not currently operate our own elephant sanctuary and we will not claim otherwise. Wild Asian elephant work is critical, but it is the field of established Asian conservation organisations whose capacity our launch funding aims to support, not replace. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, WOAH captive-elephant welfare guidance, UNEP-WCMC. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/african-elephant-facts): The African Elephant: Two Species, One Crisis.

## Summary
Africa has two elephant species — the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana, Endangered) and the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis, Critically Endangered) — together comprising an estimated 415,000 wild individuals, down from an estimated 1.3 million in 1979, driven mainly by ivory poaching and habitat conversion.

## Excerpt
The IUCN now recognises two African elephant species: the African savanna elephant (Endangered) and the African forest elephant (Critically Endangered). Both are in steep decline, driven by ivory poaching and habitat loss.

## Takeaway
Two species: African savanna elephant (Endangered) and African forest elephant (Critically Endangered).

## Takeaway
Combined wild population estimated at 415,000, down from 1.3 million in 1979.

## Takeaway
Listed on CITES Appendix I and Appendix II depending on population.

## Takeaway
Kenya and Tanzania together hold one of the most significant remaining savanna elephant populations.

## Takeaway
Snaring is a major non-targeted cause of elephant injury — directly relevant to WARN's planned anti-snaring work.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/african-elephant-facts): The African Elephant: Two Species, One Crisis.

## Briefing
For most of modern conservation history, "the African elephant" was treated as one species. In 2021, the IUCN formally recognised what genetic and morphological evidence had long suggested: two distinct species. The African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) is now listed as Endangered. The smaller, rounder-eared African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) of Central and West African forests is listed as Critically Endangered. WARN is preparing to operate in Kenya and Tanzania , two countries that between them host one of the largest remaining savanna elephant populations in the world. How many African elephants are left? The most recent IUCN estimates put the total wild population at around 415,000 across both species — down from an estimated 1.3 million in 1979. Savanna elephant declines have averaged around 60% over the last 50 years; forest elephant declines have averaged around 86% over 30 years. The threats Ivory poaching. UNODC's World Wildlife Crime Report describes elephant ivory trafficking as one of the largest and most professionalised wildlife-crime supply chains. Demand markets are concentrated in East and Southeast Asia, with seizure data implicating Vietnam, China and several transit countries. Habitat loss. Conversion of savanna to farmland and forest to plantations is squeezing both species into smaller, increasingly disconnected areas. Forest elephants in particular are sensitive to road-building and habitat fragmentation. Human-elephant conflict. Crop-raiding elephants are speared, shot or poisoned. Elephant retaliation against humans causes dozens of deaths in East Africa each year. Snaring. Wire snares set for bushmeat regularly catch elephants — particularly juveniles — as bycatch. Veterinary darting and snare removal are core anti-snaring fieldwork. What is working Anti-poaching has materially reduced ivory-driven mortality in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and Namibia over the last decade, even as overall numbers continued to fall. Community-based conservancies that share tourism income with pastoralist communities have produced measurable reductions in retaliatory killing in northern Kenya in particular. How WARN fits in Elephants are not yet a stand-alone WARN appeal. Our planned work in Kenya and Tanzania will address one of the major non-poaching causes of elephant injury — wire snares set for bushmeat — and our long-term ambition is to support partner work on the welfare end of the wider East African elephant crisis as our country operations mature. Sources: IUCN Red List, UNEP-WCMC, CITES, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/are-komodo-dragons-endangered): The Komodo Dragon: The World's Largest Lizard Is Now Endangered.

## Summary
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is an Endangered monitor lizard endemic to a handful of Indonesian islands — Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, Padar and the western coast of Flores — with an estimated wild population of around 3,000-3,500 individuals.

## Excerpt
The Komodo dragon was uplisted from Vulnerable to Endangered in 2021. Found on only a handful of Indonesian islands, it is one of the most range-restricted apex predators on earth.

## Takeaway
World's largest living lizard species — adults can exceed 3 metres and 70 kg.

## Takeaway
Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2021 (uplisted from Vulnerable).

## Takeaway
Endemic to a handful of small Indonesian islands inside Komodo National Park and western Flores.

## Takeaway
Wild population estimated at 3,000-3,500 individuals.

## Takeaway
Primary threat is climate change — predicted sea-level rise would inundate critical low-lying habitat.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/are-komodo-dragons-endangered): The Komodo Dragon: The World's Largest Lizard Is Now Endangered.

## Briefing
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest living lizard. It is also one of the most range-restricted apex predators on earth — endemic to a handful of Indonesian islands totalling less than 1,800 km² of suitable habitat. In 2021 the IUCN moved it from Vulnerable to Endangered. The Komodo dragon lives entirely within Indonesia , which is one of WARN's partner-network countries. We do not currently fund Komodo work, but the same Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the same conservation NGOs, and the same partner veterinary capacity that any Komodo conservation work depends on are the institutions our Indonesia programme is being designed to interact with. Why the Komodo dragon is Endangered Climate change and sea-level rise. The IUCN's 2021 reassessment cited modelled sea-level rise as a critical threat — much of the dragon's prime habitat is low-lying coastal valley. Prey depletion. Komodo dragons depend on Timor deer, wild boar and water buffalo. Poaching of deer for bushmeat reduces the dragon's food base. Range fragmentation. The Flores population is fragmented into small subpopulations, several of which are now genetically isolated. Tourism pressure. Komodo National Park is one of Indonesia's most-visited protected areas. Sustainable tourism funds the park, but uncontrolled access stresses dragons and disrupts mating behaviour. What conservation looks like Komodo National Park and Wae Wuul Nature Reserve are the backbone of Komodo dragon conservation, with day-to-day work led by Indonesian forestry-ministry staff. CITES Appendix I prohibits commercial international trade. Captive-breeding insurance populations exist in a small number of zoos worldwide. How WARN fits in The Komodo dragon is not a WARN appeal and is unlikely to become one — long-term species conservation of a single endemic apex predator is the field of established Indonesian and international conservation organisations. We have included this briefing because the Komodo dragon is one of the most-searched Indonesian endangered species online, and we want WARN supporters who search for it to find an accurate, source-cited summary rather than the fundraising-driven copy that dominates other charity websites. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, UNEP-WCMC, Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/rhino-species-guide): Rhino Species: Five Species, Three Critically Endangered.

## Summary
Five rhinoceros species survive worldwide — black rhino, southern white rhino (Near Threatened), greater one-horned (Indian) rhino (Vulnerable), Javan rhino (Critically Endangered) and Sumatran rhino (Critically Endangered) — with combined wild populations of roughly 26,000-27,000 individuals, the great majority of which are southern white rhinos in southern Africa.

## Excerpt
There are five surviving rhino species worldwide. Three are Critically Endangered, including the Javan and Sumatran rhinos of Indonesia and the black rhino of Africa. Rhino range states include Indonesia — in WARN's partner network — alongside India, Nepal, Kenya, South Africa and Namibia.

## Takeaway
Five surviving rhino species: black, white, Indian, Javan and Sumatran.

## Takeaway
Three are Critically Endangered — Javan rhino (<80 individuals), Sumatran rhino (<50 individuals), and black rhino (~6,500).

## Takeaway
The northern white rhino is functionally extinct — only two non-reproductive females remain.

## Takeaway
Indonesia is WARN's partner-network country with wild rhino populations; other rhino range states such as India, Nepal, Kenya, South Africa and Namibia feature as wider range and search context.

## Takeaway
Rhino horn trafficking, driven by demand markets in East and Southeast Asia, is the dominant cause of poaching mortality.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/rhino-species-guide): Rhino Species: Five Species, Three Critically Endangered.

## Briefing
"Saving the rhino" is not one conservation challenge but five. The surviving rhino species — black, white, Indian, Javan and Sumatran — face overlapping but distinct threats, are spread across two continents, and have very different population trajectories. WARN's partner-network rhino focus is Indonesia (Javan and Sumatran rhinos). Other rhino range states feature as wider context: India and Nepal (greater one-horned rhinos), and Kenya , South Africa and Namibia (black and southern white rhinos). The five surviving species Southern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum). Near Threatened. Around 16,000 wild individuals, the great majority in South Africa, with smaller populations in Kenya and other range states. Black rhino (Diceros bicornis). Critically Endangered. Roughly 6,500 wild individuals across Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and small reintroduced populations elsewhere. Kenya holds a meaningful share. Greater one-horned (Indian) rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis). Vulnerable. Around 4,000 wild individuals in India and Nepal. Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus). Critically Endangered. Fewer than 80 wild individuals, all in Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Critically Endangered. Fewer than 50 wild individuals, all in Indonesia — most in fragmented populations on Sumatra and a small population in Borneo. The northern white rhino — once a subspecies in its own right — is functionally extinct. Only two non-reproductive females remain, both in Kenya. The threats Horn trafficking. UNODC has consistently flagged rhino-horn trafficking as a transnational organised-crime issue. Demand markets are concentrated in Vietnam and China, with multiple intermediary countries. The horn is keratin and has no clinically demonstrated medicinal effect. Habitat loss. Particularly acute for the Sumatran rhino, where logging and palm-oil concessions have left small, disconnected subpopulations. Tiny effective populations. Javan and Sumatran rhinos face genuine extinction risk simply because so few individuals remain — every snare, every disease event, every poaching incident is a meaningful percentage of the global wild population. What is working Intensively protected populations in Kenya and South Africa, supported by ranger forces, dehorning programmes where ethically appropriate, and rapid-response veterinary teams, have stabilised black and southern white rhino numbers. Indonesia's Sumatran rhino captive-breeding programme at Way Kambas Sanctuary is a last-resort intervention. How WARN fits in Rhinos are not yet a WARN appeal. Our planned work in Kenya and Tanzania contributes to the broader East African anti-poaching ecosystem in which rhino protection happens. Our planned Indonesia operations operate in the same forests as Sumatran rhino conservation. We are not in a position to claim direct rhino impact, and we will not. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, UNEP-WCMC, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/are-cheetahs-endangered): The Cheetah: Fastest Land Animal, Vulnerable to Extinction.

## Summary
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a Vulnerable big cat species native to Africa and a small relict population in Iran, with an estimated 6,500-7,100 wild individuals; the species has lost more than 90% of its historic range and is the subject of repeated IUCN proposals to be uplisted to Endangered.

## Excerpt
Fewer than an estimated 7,000 wild cheetahs remain across Africa and a tiny relict population in Iran. The species occupies less than 9% of its historic range.

## Takeaway
Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; the Asiatic cheetah subspecies in Iran is Critically Endangered with fewer than 50 individuals.

## Takeaway
Estimated 6,500-7,100 wild cheetahs remain globally, mostly in southern and eastern Africa.

## Takeaway
Range has contracted to less than 9% of historic levels.

## Takeaway
Cheetahs are highly susceptible to retaliatory killing by livestock farmers.

## Takeaway
Illegal pet-trade trafficking of cubs from the Horn of Africa to Gulf-state buyers is a documented threat.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/are-cheetahs-endangered): The Cheetah: Fastest Land Animal, Vulnerable to Extinction.

## Briefing
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land animal — capable of 100 km/h sprints over short distances — and one of the most ecologically specialised big cats. It needs large open landscapes, low competition from larger predators, and an abundance of small-to-medium antelope. All three are in decline. WARN is preparing to operate in Kenya and Tanzania , two countries that between them hold an important share of the East African cheetah population. How many cheetahs are left? Reliable continental estimates place the wild cheetah population at 6,500-7,100 individuals , mostly across southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe) and East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania), with smaller fragmented populations elsewhere. The Asiatic cheetah — once found from the Middle East to India — is now reduced to a tiny relict population in Iran of fewer than 50 individuals, Critically Endangered. The threats Habitat loss and prey depletion. Cheetahs need wide-ranging open habitat. Fencing, farming and livestock grazing fragment the landscape and replace wild prey with cattle. Retaliatory killing. Cheetahs that take goats or calves are shot or poisoned. Cheetahs do far less livestock damage than larger predators per kilo of meat taken, but they are easier to kill. Illegal pet trade. Cheetah cubs are trafficked out of the Horn of Africa to Gulf-state buyers. The mortality rate among smuggled cubs is high; CITES and UNODC have repeatedly flagged this supply chain. Competition with larger predators. Cheetahs lose roughly half of their kills to lions and hyenas, and lion populations in protected areas can suppress cheetah numbers. What is working Livestock-guarding-dog programmes in Namibia and Botswana have produced measurable reductions in retaliatory killing. Conservancy models that share tourism revenue with pastoralist communities are reducing conflict in northern Kenya. The cub-trafficking supply chain remains under-enforced. How WARN fits in Cheetahs are not yet a WARN appeal. Our planned snare-removal work addresses one of the meaningful indirect threats to cheetahs — wire snares set for bushmeat — and our long-term Kenya and Tanzania work will operate in the same landscapes as cheetah conservation. We will not claim direct cheetah impact. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, UNEP-WCMC, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-report-wildlife-trafficking): How to Report Wildlife Trafficking: A Practical Guide for Travellers and Online Buyers.

## Summary
To report wildlife trafficking, contact the national wildlife enforcement agency of the country where you observed the activity, your home-country customs authority if products are being imported, and INTERPOL's wildlife crime working group via local police; for online listings, report to the platform and to TRAFFIC's Wildlife Trade Portal.

## Excerpt
If you have seen a live animal in a market, a wildlife product in a shop, or a suspicious online listing, here is how to report it — and who actually acts on the information.

## Takeaway
In-country reporting (the country where you observed the activity) is almost always the first call — local wildlife or forestry authorities.

## Takeaway
UK reporting: National Wildlife Crime Unit (nwcu.police.uk) and Border Force at point of import.

## Takeaway
Online listings: report to the platform first, then to TRAFFIC's Wildlife Trade Portal.

## Takeaway
Photograph and geotag the evidence safely; do not confront sellers.

## Takeaway
Reports with location, photo, date and species identification are acted on far more often than vague reports.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-report-wildlife-trafficking): How to Report Wildlife Trafficking: A Practical Guide for Travellers and Online Buyers.

## Briefing
Wildlife trafficking is consistently ranked by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as one of the largest illicit industries in the world. Most successful enforcement actions begin with a member-of-the-public report. This guide explains how to make one that gets acted on. Before you do anything: safety first Wildlife trafficking is organised crime. Do not confront sellers, do not film conspicuously, and do not buy "to rescue" the animal — buying a trafficked animal directly funds the next capture. Take a photograph if you can do so safely, note the location, time, currency listed, and any details you remember about the seller and any other animals or products on display. Step 1: Report in the country where you saw it Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia: the relevant national forestry or wildlife department, plus the in-country office of established conservation NGOs (which often have hotlines). Kenya, Tanzania: Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA). Pakistan: the relevant provincial wildlife department in Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Balochistan. Colombia, Peru: autoridad ambiental — in Colombia, ANLA or the regional Corporación Autónoma; in Peru, SERFOR. Step 2: Report at home if products are being imported If wildlife products are on sale in shops or markets in your home country, your customs and wildlife-crime enforcement bodies are the right route. In the UK, that means Border Force at point of import and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) for in-country reports. Step 3: Report online listings For social-media or marketplace listings of trafficked wildlife, report directly to the platform (Meta, TikTok, eBay all have wildlife policies) and to TRAFFIC's Wildlife Trade Portal. Online sales now account for a substantial proportion of exotic-pet trafficking globally. What makes a report act-on-able Photo or screenshot. Date and time. Precise location (geotag or named landmark). Species identification — even an honest "looks like a sun bear cub" is more useful than "a brown animal." Whether the animal is alive or a product (skin, bone, horn). What WARN can and cannot do WARN is not a law-enforcement agency. We cannot intervene directly. What we are being built to do is fund the in-country veterinary and sanctuary capacity that enforcement actions depend on — animals seized in raids need somewhere safe to go, or seizures don't happen. Sources: UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report, CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL Environmental Security Programme, TRAFFIC. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-help-street-dogs-abroad): How to Help Street Dogs Abroad: An Honest Guide for Travellers.

## Summary
The most effective way to help street dogs abroad is to support an established in-country rescue or catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) programme financially; rescuing individual dogs back to your home country is expensive, slow, and a low-impact use of the same money.

## Excerpt
Encountering injured or distressed street dogs while travelling is one of the most common animal-welfare experiences for British holidaymakers. Here is what actually helps — and what makes things worse.

## Takeaway
Catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) at ~70% sterilisation coverage is the WHO/WOAH-endorsed approach.

## Takeaway
Most community dogs are not strays — they are bonded to a territory and to specific feeders.

## Takeaway
Individual international adoptions are slow (often 6+ months), expensive (typically £1,500-3,500), and a low-impact use of funds.

## Takeaway
The same money funds 60-100 CNVR surgeries in a Pakistan or Vietnam partner shelter.

## Takeaway
Always vaccinate against rabies before travelling to high-rabies countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-help-street-dogs-abroad): How to Help Street Dogs Abroad: An Honest Guide for Travellers.

## Briefing
You are on holiday. You see a thin, injured, friendly dog outside your guesthouse. What do you do? This guide is the honest answer. WARN is being built to fund the kind of in-country programmes that make this question answerable at scale; in the meantime, here is what we recommend to British travellers. Understand what you are looking at In most countries where WARN is preparing to operate, dogs in public spaces are not strays in the British sense. They are community dogs — descended from generations of dogs born on the street, often bonded to a territory and to specific feeders, frequently named and recognised by neighbours. Removing them is rarely welfare-positive: a relocated community dog is a stressed, isolated dog with no territorial claim and no food source. What helps Support the local CNVR programme financially. The catch-neuter-vaccinate-return model — endorsed by WHO and WOAH — is the only approach with strong evidence of reducing dog populations humanely while preventing dog-mediated human rabies. Report injured or sick animals to a local rescue. Use the venue, hotel or guesthouse to find a contact — many established rescues have WhatsApp hotlines. Feed sensibly if you choose to. Plain meat, plain rice, plain water. No chocolate, no spiced food, no leaving food in plastic that the dog will eat. Donate to a registered dog welfare charity working in that country — your money goes 10-100x further than your time. What does not help Calling animal control. In many countries this still means culling. "Rescuing" the dog back to the UK. The DEFRA import requirements involve rabies titre testing, microchipping, tapeworm treatment, EU-compliant pet passports and minimum waiting periods of three months or more after vaccination. Costs typically run £1,500-3,500 per dog including transport. The same money funds dozens of in-country surgeries. Removing the dog from its territory. Even short-term — you are taking a community member out of a working ecosystem. If the dog is in genuine medical emergency Call a local rescue if there is one. If not, the venue staff can usually direct you to a veterinarian who will treat strays. Offer to pay for the treatment — typical costs are a tiny fraction of UK equivalents. Then return the dog to where you found it. Your own rabies risk WHO estimates around 59,000 human rabies deaths each year worldwide, almost all from dog bites. Pre-travel rabies vaccination is strongly recommended for the countries WARN works in. Any dog bite or scratch requires immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Do not delay. Help the rescue dogs WARN is being built for WARN's launch programme in Karachi will fund partner dog rescues and the animal shelter capacity they urgently need — humane catch-neuter-vaccinate-return work, veterinary care for injured street dogs, and responsible in-country adoption of rescue dogs into safe Pakistani homes. Read the Karachi street dogs appeal for the full plan, or donate today to fund our first surgeries, vaccinations and shelter weeks. Every pound helps another rescue dog get a fair start.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-sponsor-an-animal): How to Sponsor an Animal: What Charity Animal Sponsorships Actually Fund.

## Summary
Most charity animal sponsorships are a regular donation — usually monthly — that funds the rescue or care programme an animal belongs to, with the sponsor receiving an information pack, updates and (sometimes) a named animal; the animal itself is not legally yours.

## Excerpt
Animal sponsorship is one of the most popular ways to support conservation and welfare work — and one of the most opaque. Here is what to look for, and what to avoid.

## Takeaway
Sponsorship is a regular donation, not animal ownership — your money funds a programme.

## Takeaway
Look for charities that publish how the sponsorship money is split between direct animal care and general fundraising.

## Takeaway
A real sponsored animal exists, but the funds are usually used at programme level.

## Takeaway
Monthly £5-15 sponsorships are the most common UK price point; £25+ funds more direct care.

## Takeaway
Avoid sponsorships that promise unrealistic personalisation (private visits, daily updates, etc.) from low-cost packages.

## Briefing
Animal sponsorship is one of the most popular ways the British public supports wildlife and welfare charities. It is also one of the most opaque, because the marketing language ("adopt", "sponsor", "your animal") implies a degree of personal ownership that is rarely the legal or operational reality. This guide is the honest version. WARN is preparing its own sponsorship offer (see our sponsor page ) and we wrote this to help British donors interrogate every sponsorship offer — including ours. What sponsorship actually is An animal sponsorship is a regular donation (usually monthly) to a charity that operates a rescue, sanctuary or conservation programme. The donation is used at programme level — to fund vet care, feed, staff, sanctuary infrastructure and the broader organisation. A real animal exists, and the charity uses that animal as a representative example of the work your money funds. What you should expect A welcome pack with the animal's story, photo and basic information. Periodic (typically quarterly) updates. An honest description of what your sponsorship funds — care, programme, or general charitable purposes. A registered charity number and recent published accounts. What you should be cautious of Inflated personalisation promises. A £5/month sponsorship cannot fund a private visit or a personalised monthly video. Watch for over-promise. Vague allocation language. "Your money helps animals like Mary" with no further detail is a warning sign. No published accounts. Every UK registered charity publishes accounts via the Charity Commission. Check them. Promises that conflict with welfare best practice. Sanctuary sponsorships that involve riding, performing or hand-feeding wildlife are welfare-compromised regardless of the language used. How WARN's sponsorship offer works WARN's sponsorship offer is in development for our 2026 launch. We are deliberately publishing the sponsor page before we go live so that the offer can be reviewed by donors and partners. Our principle is simple: sponsorship money funds the rescue programme it is allocated to, with no inflated personalisation, no welfare-compromised photo opportunities, and full annual accounting on what it paid for. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/ethical-wildlife-tourism-checklist): Ethical Wildlife Tourism: A Practical Checklist Before You Book.

## Summary
Ethical wildlife tourism funds in-country conservation and welfare work without compromising animal welfare; the clearest test is whether animals are free to perform their natural behaviours, with no riding, no touching of wild species, no performance shows, and no enforced human contact.

## Excerpt
Wildlife tourism funds a great deal of important conservation work — and a lot of welfare-harmful exploitation. Here is how to tell the difference before you book.

## Takeaway
Riding, touching, hugging or hand-feeding wild species are red flags.

## Takeaway
Bathing experiences with captive elephants are now widely considered welfare-compromised even at "sanctuaries".

## Takeaway
Look for accreditation from an established welfare body (Global Sanctuary Federation, GFAS, etc.).

## Takeaway
If the animal must be chained, restrained or sedated for the experience, it is not ethical.

## Takeaway
Photo selfies with wild species are an extraction-and-cycle business: avoid them entirely.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/ethical-wildlife-tourism-checklist): Ethical Wildlife Tourism: A Practical Checklist Before You Book.

## Briefing
Wildlife tourism is one of the largest sources of conservation funding worldwide, and one of the largest sources of welfare-compromised captive-wildlife exploitation. Both statements are true. The challenge for the ethical traveller is telling them apart. WARN is preparing to operate in Thailand , one of the centres of the global wildlife-tourism debate. This checklist is what we tell our own partners to use. Red flags — avoid entirely Riding wild species. Elephants, ostriches, camels in tourism settings — all welfare-compromised. Touching, hugging or holding wild species. Tigers, lions, monkeys, slow lorises, sloths, baby crocodiles. The animals are usually sedated, hand-reared away from mothers, or trained with aversive methods. Performance shows. Dolphin shows, elephant football, monkey shows. Welfare science has been clear on these for decades. Walking-with experiences. Walking-with-lions, walking-with-cheetahs operations are typically a feeder system for the captive-breeding industry. Bathing-with-elephants. Increasingly recognised as welfare-compromised even at facilities calling themselves sanctuaries — the elephants are typically restrained or trained into compliance. Green flags — these are usually fine Observation from a distance, with the animal free to leave. Genuine non-contact sanctuaries — animals retire there for life, with no riding, touching or performance. Wild safaris and birding in established national parks, with experienced guides. Marine snorkelling in areas without baiting or feeding. Questions to ask before booking "Are animals chained, restrained or in performance shows?" If yes, do not book. "Is touching or riding offered?" If yes, do not book. "What happens to the animals at the end of their working life?" If the answer is unclear, do not book. "Is the facility accredited by an external welfare body?" GFAS and similar accreditations exist for a reason. "What proportion of revenue funds animal care?" Reputable sanctuaries can answer this. How WARN fits in WARN is being built to support genuine non-contact captive-wildlife sanctuary work in Thailand and Cambodia — for elephants who can no longer work, for confiscated trafficked species, for animals who cannot be safely returned to the wild. We will publish our partner sanctuary criteria as our 2026 operations come online. Sources: WOAH captive-wildlife welfare guidance, World Animal Protection captive-wildlife reports, UNEP responsible-tourism guidance. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-leave-a-gift-in-your-will): How to Leave a Gift in Your Will to an Animal Charity.

## Summary
To leave a gift in your will to an animal charity, you ask your solicitor to add a clause to your will — naming the charity, its registered number, and either a fixed sum (pecuniary legacy), a specific asset (specific legacy), or a percentage of your residual estate (residuary legacy); gifts to UK-registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax.

## Excerpt
Legacy gifts to animal charities make up roughly a third of all charitable giving in the UK. Here is how the practical mechanics work — and why we recommend an inheritance-tax-efficient legacy gift even if you can only afford a small one.

## Takeaway
Three legacy types: pecuniary (fixed sum), specific (named asset), residuary (% of what remains).

## Takeaway
Residuary legacies are inflation-proof — a fixed sum from 2026 may be worth less in 2046.

## Takeaway
Gifts to UK-registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax.

## Takeaway
Leaving 10% or more of your estate to charity reduces the inheritance tax rate on the rest of your estate from 40% to 36%.

## Takeaway
You always need a solicitor to draft or amend a will — DIY wills are a common source of family disputes.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-leave-a-gift-in-your-will): How to Leave a Gift in Your Will to an Animal Charity.

## Briefing
Legacy giving — leaving a gift to charity in your will — is the single largest source of voluntary income for UK charities and accounts for roughly a third of all charitable giving in the country. For animal charities in particular it is often the difference between continuing and closing. WARN is World Animal Rescue Network CIC (Company number 17298990), a registered Community Interest Company — not a registered charity. A gift to WARN in your will would not qualify for the inheritance-tax exemption described below — if inheritance-tax efficiency is your main goal, a registered animal charity is the right home for that part of your legacy. We are writing this guide because we want supporters who plan to remember us in their wills to understand how legacy giving works. The three types of legacy gift Pecuniary legacy. A fixed sum of money. Easy to plan but loses value to inflation over time. Specific legacy. A named asset — a property, a vehicle, an item of value. Residuary legacy. A percentage of whatever remains in your estate after other gifts, debts and tax. Inflation-proof and the most common form. The inheritance-tax piece Gifts to UK-registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax. If you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity, the rate of inheritance tax on the rest of your estate falls from 40% to 36% — a real and underused benefit. What you need from the charity Registered charity name (legal name, not trading name). Registered charity number. Registered office address. A standard wording the charity itself recommends. WARN is a CIC rather than a registered charity, so we do not have a charity number — our registered company name is World Animal Rescue Network CIC, company number 17298990, registered office 71-75 Shelton Street, London, England, WC2H 9JQ. Your solicitor should use the exact legal name and company number in any will clause. Use a solicitor DIY wills are a common source of family disputes and a regular cause of intended legacies failing in probate. Use a STEP-qualified solicitor or a Will Aid / Free Wills Month month if cost is a barrier. What WARN promises Our promise on legacy gifts is the same as our promise on every other gift: full annual accounting, no hidden administration charges, and clear allocation of the funds to the rescue programmes the donor named. A residuary legacy gift to WARN funds frontline rescue work — not corporate overheads. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-spot-illegal-wildlife-products): How to Spot Illegal Wildlife Products in Markets, Shops and Online.

## Summary
The main categories of illegal wildlife products encountered by British travellers are ivory, tortoiseshell, big-cat skins and teeth, traditional-medicine animal parts, coral and shells, hardwood items, exotic-leather products from CITES species, and any live wildlife or wildlife eggs — almost all of which require CITES permits even to import legally.

## Excerpt
Most British travellers who buy an illegal wildlife product do so unknowingly. Here is how to recognise the main categories before you buy.

## Takeaway
All ivory, including "antique" ivory, is heavily restricted under UK law (Ivory Act 2018).

## Takeaway
Tortoiseshell is from real sea turtles (Hawksbill) and is CITES Appendix I — never legal to buy.

## Takeaway
Any souvenir made from coral, shell, hardwood, exotic skin or animal part may require CITES permits.

## Takeaway
Traditional-medicine products listing bear, tiger, pangolin or rhino are illegal — substitute claims are usually false.

## Takeaway
Live wildlife or eggs are almost never legal to take across a border without permits.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-spot-illegal-wildlife-products): How to Spot Illegal Wildlife Products in Markets, Shops and Online.

## Briefing
Most British travellers who end up unwittingly trafficking an illegal wildlife product do so as a souvenir buyer in a foreign market. Customs seizures at UK airports include carved ivory, tortoiseshell jewellery, big-cat teeth, traditional-medicine packages and reptile-skin handbags every week of the year. This guide is a practical primer. The legal authority is CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — which controls trade in 38,000+ animal and plant species through three Appendices. The high-risk product categories Ivory. Elephant, hippo, walrus, narwhal. The UK Ivory Act 2018 makes most ivory sales illegal even within the UK. Antique-claim ivory is almost always either modern or from another protected species. Tortoiseshell. Real tortoiseshell jewellery is from the Hawksbill sea turtle — Critically Endangered, CITES Appendix I. Any honey-amber-coloured "tortoiseshell" item should be assumed illegal. Big-cat parts. Skins, teeth, claws, bones. All major big cats (tiger, leopard, snow leopard, jaguar, cheetah) are CITES-listed; trafficking is a UNODC enforcement priority. Traditional-medicine animal parts. Bear-bile products, tiger-bone wine, pangolin scales, rhino-horn powder. Almost universally illegal to import. Coral, shell and marine items. Several coral species and many large molluscs are CITES Appendix II. The giant clam is restricted. Hardwood and rosewood. Many tropical hardwoods used in carvings and musical instruments are CITES Appendix II. Exotic leather. Crocodile, python, monitor lizard — most CITES Appendix II and require export permits. Live wildlife and eggs. Parrots, reptiles, primates, eggs — almost never legal to remove from a country without permits. How to handle it on the day If a vendor cannot produce a CITES permit, do not buy. If you have already bought something and are unsure, declare it on arrival in the UK — declared and surrendered items typically result in confiscation only; undeclared items can mean fines and prosecution. If you see organised trafficking See our guide to reporting wildlife trafficking for the practical steps. Sources: CITES, UNODC, UK Border Force, NWCU. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/volunteer-overseas-with-animals-guide): How to Volunteer Overseas With Animals — Without Doing Harm.

## Summary
Ethical overseas animal volunteering requires that you bring useful skills (veterinary, husbandry, construction, education, fundraising), that you pay your own way, that you do not work directly with cubs or hand-rear wild species, and that the placement is with an established sanctuary or research project — not a tourist attraction marketed as conservation.

## Excerpt
Volunteer-with-wildlife programmes have a serious welfare problem. Here is how to find a placement that actually helps — and what to avoid.

## Takeaway
Avoid all placements that involve hand-rearing, bathing or photo contact with wild species.

## Takeaway
Veterinary, husbandry, construction, education and fundraising are the genuinely useful volunteer skills.

## Takeaway
Pay-to-volunteer rates of £500-2,000+ per week are common — at least 50% should be flowing into the sanctuary.

## Takeaway
Cub-petting placements feed into the canned-hunting and exotic-pet industries. Avoid entirely.

## Takeaway
Established research institutions, accredited sanctuaries and veterinary NGOs are the safer choices.

## Briefing
Overseas wildlife volunteering is one of the most popular forms of voluntourism in the UK. It is also, in too many cases, a welfare disaster dressed up as conservation. Tiger-cub feeding, lion-cub petting, elephant-bathing — these placements look like rescue and are, in the worst cases, the consumer-facing end of the canned-hunting and captive-breeding industries. WARN is preparing to operate in several countries where ethical wildlife volunteering also exists. This guide is how to find it. Bring a useful skill Veterinary nursing or veterinary medicine. Most useful skill in a rescue setting. Animal husbandry. Cleaning, feeding, basic enrichment. Construction and maintenance. Sanctuaries always need fences, enclosures and water systems repaired. Education and community engagement. Local-language education is best done by local educators — non-local volunteers usually add value as funders or trainers, not deliverers. Photography, writing, web work, accountancy. Sanctuaries are NGOs and need NGO skills. Red flags Cub feeding, hand-rearing, bathing. No legitimate sanctuary lets paying volunteers handle infant wild animals. Photo packages. If you can pay extra for selfies with the animals, the operation is welfare-compromised. Volunteer-as-keeper structures. If volunteers are responsible for life-or-death animal care, the sanctuary is under-staffed. No published charitable registration. Established sanctuaries can produce their registration documents on request. Cost transparency Pay-to-volunteer placements typically cost £500-2,000+ per week. A defensible operation publishes how that fee is split between accommodation, food, training, sanctuary support and operator margin. If you cannot get that breakdown, walk away. What WARN supports WARN does not operate its own overseas volunteer programme. We support partner sanctuaries that meet the criteria above. As we launch, we will publish a list of accredited partner placements that British supporters can apply to directly. See our get involved page for the current status. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/leopard-vs-jaguar-vs-cheetah): Leopard vs Jaguar vs Cheetah: How to Tell the Three Spotted Cats Apart.

## Summary
Leopards have rosettes without inner spots and live in Africa and Asia; jaguars have rosettes with inner spots, a stockier build and live in the Americas; cheetahs have solid round spots (not rosettes), a slender greyhound-like build, dark tear-mark stripes and live in Africa.

## Excerpt
Three big cats, three different continents, three completely different ecologies — but they are confused with each other constantly. Here is the simple version.

## Takeaway
Leopard: rosettes (open ring shapes), no inner spots, slim and muscular, Africa and Asia.

## Takeaway
Jaguar: rosettes with inner spots inside them, stocky and powerful, the Americas only.

## Takeaway
Cheetah: solid round spots (not rosettes), slender greyhound build, dark tear-mark stripes, Africa.

## Takeaway
Only the leopard and jaguar are in the genus Panthera; the cheetah is genus Acinonyx and cannot roar.

## Takeaway
All three are CITES-listed and trafficked.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/leopard-vs-jaguar-vs-cheetah): Leopard vs Jaguar vs Cheetah: How to Tell the Three Spotted Cats Apart.

## Briefing
If you have ever stared at a photo and wondered "is that a leopard or a jaguar?" — you are not alone. The three big cats most often mixed up are the leopard, the jaguar and the cheetah. They live on different continents, have different builds, and have completely different ecologies. This is the short version. Coat pattern Leopard. Open ring shapes called rosettes, but with no spot inside the rosette. The rosettes are smaller and closer together than a jaguar's. Jaguar. Open ring shapes — but most rosettes have one or more small spots inside them. Larger and more widely spaced than leopard rosettes. Cheetah. Not rosettes at all — solid round black spots. Plus a distinctive black "tear mark" stripe running from each eye down to the mouth. Build Leopard. Athletic and muscular but slim. A leopard can drag a kill three times its own weight up into a tree. Jaguar. Stocky, powerful, larger head, the strongest bite force pound-for-pound of any big cat. Specialised for ambush and biting through skulls and shells. Cheetah. Slender, long-legged, small head. Built for speed, not power. Cannot retract its claws fully — the only big cat with this trait. Where they live Leopard. Sub-Saharan Africa and across South and Southeast Asia, including the Russian Far East (Amur leopard). One of the most widely distributed big cats. Jaguar. The Americas only — Mexico to northern Argentina. Strongest populations in the Amazon basin, including Colombia , a WARN partner-network country, with Peru as wider range and search context. Cheetah. Sub-Saharan Africa, with a tiny relict population in Iran (the Asiatic cheetah ). The genus point Leopards and jaguars are both in the genus Panthera, alongside lions and tigers. Cheetahs are the only species in the genus Acinonyx. The practical consequence: cheetahs cannot roar (they chirp and purr), while leopards and jaguars can. Conservation status Leopard. Vulnerable globally; some subspecies (Amur, Arabian, Javan) are Critically Endangered. Jaguar. Near Threatened, declining. Cheetah. Vulnerable globally; Asiatic cheetah Critically Endangered. All three are CITES Appendix I or II depending on subspecies and trafficked for skins, teeth and bones. See our illegal wildlife trade topic hub for the wider picture. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/asian-vs-african-elephant): Asian vs African Elephant: The Differences in One Place.

## Summary
African elephants (two species: savanna and forest, both Loxodonta) are larger, have larger ears, both sexes carry tusks, and live wild across Sub-Saharan Africa; the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is smaller, has smaller ears, only some males carry tusks, has a more domed forehead, and is far more often kept in captivity.

## Excerpt
Two species of African elephant, one species of Asian elephant, and a long list of differences that matter for conservation and welfare. Here is the comparison.

## Takeaway
Three species in total — two African (savanna and forest) and one Asian.

## Takeaway
African elephants: larger, larger ears, both sexes tusked, more concave back.

## Takeaway
Asian elephants: smaller, smaller ears, only some males tusked, more domed forehead, more humped back.

## Takeaway
Asian elephants have been domesticated as working animals for over 4,000 years; African elephants have not.

## Takeaway
Both Asian elephant and African forest elephant are Endangered or Critically Endangered.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/asian-vs-african-elephant): Asian vs African Elephant: The Differences in One Place.

## Briefing
"The elephant" is shorthand for three different species — two African and one Asian — with different ranges, different bodies, different ecologies, and very different relationships with humans. WARN is preparing to operate in Thailand and Cambodia (Asian elephant range) and Kenya and Tanzania (African savanna elephant range). The differences matter for our work. Quick comparison Size. African savanna elephant: 4-7 tonnes. African forest elephant: 2-5 tonnes. Asian elephant: 2.5-5 tonnes. Ears. African: large, roughly the shape of the African continent. Asian: smaller and rounded. Tusks. African: both males and females carry tusks. Asian: only some males have full tusks; females have none or small tushes. Forehead. African: flat or slightly sloped. Asian: distinctly domed, with two prominent "bumps". Back. African: concave (dips in the middle). Asian: convex or humped. Trunk tip. African: two finger-like projections. Asian: one finger-like projection. Toenails. African savanna: 4 front / 3 back. Asian: 5 front / 4 back. Conservation status African savanna elephant. Endangered. Estimated 350,000+ wild individuals. African forest elephant. Critically Endangered. Estimated 40,000-65,000. Asian elephant. Endangered. Estimated 41,000-52,000 wild individuals, plus roughly 15,000-18,000 in captivity. The captivity difference The most important practical difference for welfare work: Asian elephants have a 4,000-year history of domestication as working animals — for logging, agriculture, war and ceremony. Roughly a third of all Asian elephants alive today live in captivity, mostly in working camps and tourism. African elephants have never been domesticated at population scale; almost all live wild. The implication for WARN: our planned Asian elephant work (Thailand, Cambodia as wider range and search context) would focus predominantly on captive-elephant welfare and retirement-sanctuary support, while our planned East Africa elephant work (Kenya, Tanzania) would focus on wild-elephant anti-snaring and anti-poaching support. See our briefings on the Asian elephant and the African elephant for the full picture. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES, WOAH captive-elephant welfare guidance, UNEP-WCMC. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/sun-bear-vs-moon-bear): Sun Bear vs Moon Bear: The Two Most Trafficked Asian Bears.

## Summary
The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the world's smallest bear, with a sleek black coat, a U-shaped cream chest patch and a long tongue; the moon bear (Asiatic black bear, Ursus thibetanus) is larger, has a thick ruff of fur around the neck and a clear V-shaped or crescent-shaped white chest patch — both are Vulnerable, both are trafficked for the bear-bile industry.

## Excerpt
The sun bear and the Asiatic black bear (moon bear) are the two most commonly trafficked bears in Asia — for the pet trade, for traditional medicine and for bear-bile farming. Here is how to tell them apart.

## Takeaway
Sun bear: smallest bear species (40-65 kg), sleek coat, U-shaped chest patch, long tongue.

## Takeaway
Moon bear: medium-sized (100-200 kg), thick ruff, V- or crescent-shaped chest patch.

## Takeaway
Both are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; both CITES Appendix I.

## Takeaway
Both are heavily trafficked for gall-bladder bile used in some traditional-medicine markets.

## Takeaway
Vietnam's bear-bile farming industry primarily affects moon bears; sun bears are more often trafficked from the wild.