Wildfires at Panthera Africa - Your Support Is Our Lifeline

The Fire No One Could Have Prepared For

On 8 January 2026, a fast-moving and uncontrollable wildfire swept through Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary, causing widespread devastation across our property and neighbouring farms. Several big cat camps were destroyed, along with critical infrastructure, including electrical systems, perimeter fencing and multiple enclosures.

The fire was declared a Code Red emergency, the highest level of alert, due to its intensity and scale. Municipal firefighting teams were placed under severe strain and urgent assistance was called in from surrounding municipalities as crews worked tirelessly to try to contain the blaze.

Through the courage and dedication of our team, all 26 animals were kept safe. Those in immediate danger were successfully moved out of harm’s way. Tragically, despite every effort, our beloved tiger Rays did not survive. Although he was evacuated in time, smoke inhalation combined with the effects of darting led to lung oedema and cardio-respiratory compromise. He fell into a coma and passed away peacefully. His loss has been felt deeply by our team and by the wider community who loved him dearly.

While most of the animals escaped without critical injury, two of our big cats were not as fortunate. Arabella, our tigress, and Baguira, our lioness, sustained serious fire-related injuries and required long-term, intensive veterinary care under the close supervision of our specialist veterinarian.

Rays, in your memory, we will keep going. We will not stop. You are our light, always and forever. We love you and miss you more than words can ever say.

Help Us Recover After the Wildfire

The Miracle Evacuation in the Midst of a Fire

Together with our on-site wildfire advisor, we made the incredibly difficult but necessary decision to evacuate most of our animals from the property, including all of our big cats, to trusted partner sanctuaries across the country. The first evacuations began on the day the fire hit us. Over the days that followed, emergency permits were secured, complex transport logistics were coordinated and partner sanctuaries, some as far as 14 hours away from Stanford by road, began arriving to help relocate our animals to safety.

What made an evacuation of this scale truly extraordinary was the number of partner sanctuaries that responded to our call for help on such short notice, and the speed with which they mobilised. They stepped in without hesitation, bringing the resources and expertise required to accommodate our big cats under extremely challenging conditions. This was no small undertaking. 

Big cats cannot simply be moved or placed anywhere. Each animal had to be carefully crated under expert veterinary supervision. Emergency permits were required to allow travel across provincial borders. Suitable transport had to be secured to ensure their safe relocation. They require species-specific enclosures, rigorous safety standards and highly experienced, dedicated teams to care for them. Equally significant was the fact that our partner sanctuaries either had suitable space available or were able to create space by carefully relocating some of their own animals within their facilities. As many sanctuaries operate at or near capacity, this was extraordinary in itself.

The coordination required for this evacuation was immense, yet it came together in a matter of days. What unfolded over that short period was nothing short of a miracle, and we remain profoundly grateful to every sanctuary and every individual who answered our call for help and stood beside us when it mattered most.

This was not a decision taken lightly. Moving big cats is complex and carries inherent risks. However, with uncontrollable fires in the immediate area and continued flare-ups both around and within the sanctuary, evacuation was the only responsible course of action to ensure their safety.

YOUR SUPPORT IS OUR LIFELINE

Impact of the Wildfire and Our Long Road to Recovery

The Provincial Premier, Alan Winde, has stated that the Western Cape is experiencing its worst fire season in more than a decade. Approximately 132,000 hectares (326,000 acres) of land have burned across the province, and the current fire season has recorded double the number of fires compared to the same period last year, placing immense pressure on firefighting resources throughout the region. 

The full impact of the wildfire on Panthera Africa is still being assessed as we await official reports and insurance evaluations, a process that is expected to take several more weeks. It is therefore too early to confirm the total financial cost, the extent of our losses, what will be required to fully recover or to determine our next steps following this devastating event. What we do know is that the funding required for recovery will be considerable and far beyond what we can meet alone.

During this period, our focus remains firmly on the care of all our animals, including the seven who were not evacuated from the sanctuary. We continue to prioritise Arabella and Baguira’s long-term recovery while remaining equally committed to supporting our team as they carry on their work under extraordinarily challenging circumstances.

In late February, Baguira was approved by our specialist veterinarian to leave intensive care and return home, where she can continue her recovery. She is now back at our sanctuary, and our partner, the Born Free Foundation, which entrusts us with some of its animals when they require a safe and secure home, has kindly made one of their enclosures on our property available to us. This space is specifically designed for cats with special needs and is ideally suited to support her ongoing rehabilitation. We are sincerely grateful for their continued support.

Arabella’s progress is slower than Baguira’s, but she continues to heal. For now, she remains in intensive care, receiving the dedicated treatment she needs.

Ongoing public support is our lifeline. It is essential in helping us cover the significant financial impact of the disaster, which unfolded over several days, as well as the costs of our continued recovery as we work to establish a path forward after losing our major sources of income.

HELP SUPPORT ARABELLA AND BAGUIRA

Loss of Income and Immediate Areas of Need

Beyond the devastating physical damage caused by the wildfire, we have also lost our primary sources of income. We are currently unable to host educational visits or operate our volunteer programme, and our curio shop remains closed. These activities previously represented a substantial portion of our monthly revenue. Until we are able to resume operations, we are relying on the public’s generosity as our lifeline.

Your continued support is essential for:

Immediate Disaster-Related Costs

The wildfire unfolded over several days, resulting in extensive and unavoidable expenses. These include emergency firefighting response, urgent veterinary intervention and the preparation and evacuation of the majority of our animals to ensure their safety. The full financial impact of this period is still being determined.

Ongoing Recovery and Veterinary Care

We are now in a long-term recovery period, the duration of which remains uncertain. Seven animals are currently at the sanctuary and continue to require daily care. In addition, Arabella and Baguira required intensive veterinary treatment, resulting in significant and unexpected additional costs. Baguira has responded well to treatment and has now returned to our sanctuary, where her recovery continues. Arabella remains in intensive care under the close supervision of our specialist veterinarian. Public support is essential to sustain this level of care, and we remain hopeful that they will continue to stand with us should more of our animals return home in the months ahead.

Supporting Our Team and Daily Operations

Our dedicated team is at the heart of everything we do. Urgent funding is needed to cover daily operational costs, support staff salaries and ensure we continue providing consistent, high-quality care for our animals. Ongoing support also allows us to respond to unforeseen challenges and emergencies as we recover.

Can you help support our recovery?

Ten years ago, we founded Panthera Africa to end the suffering of big cats in captivity.

Today, much of what we built with love, care, and dedication lies in ashes, and we made the difficult decision to relocate our beautiful big cats for their own safety. This tragedy will not define us. Our home is broken, but our spirits are not. With your ongoing support, We can continue protecting the animals in our care and begin to recover from this tragedy."

Catherine S. Nyquist and Lizaene Cornwall
Co-founders

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