Annual Reports

One of my highlights this year was watching JoJo take his first tentative steps into his very own forest enclosure. JoJo was the first orangutan we ever rescued, and his story inspired a project that has transformed countless lives, both for animals and people. Since then, our partners, YIARI, have saved 266 orangutans and more than 1,200 slow lorises, while tackling the poverty that drives deforestation and hunting. Thanks to your support, families now earn a living through sustainable farming, forests and mangroves are being restored, and orangutans and other primates are being returned to the wild. Today, local communities lead wildlife protection and post-release monitoring, showing that when people have alternatives, both communities and nature can thrive. Elsewhere, there are signs of real progress. In Armenia, where rescuing caged bears has always been tough, we’re now seeing public protests against cruelty and support from police during rescue operations. It gives me hope to see public attitudes changing, and, thanks to your generousity we’ve been able to rescue many more bears from horrific conditions. 

In Costa Rica, we’ve pulled together a growing movement to end the needless electrocution of howler monkeys and other wildlife. So much can be achieved in animal welfare and conservation when we respect the needs and views of everyone involved and work together. Thanks to this approach and thanks to you, our amazing supporters, it has been a year of incredible progress, as you’ll discover as you read The Rescuer.

Alan Knight OBE - President