Photo Contest to Celebrate International Tiger Day
Tigers in America and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries are pleased to announce our annual photo and video contest to celebrate International Tiger Day, July 29, 2024.
There are more tigers in captivity in the United States than exist in the wild, sadly, often kept by breeders, circuses, dealers, and private individuals as pets. Although tigers and other big cats best belong in the wild, this contest helps celebrate photos of big cats who are unable to be released, in the protective safety of true sanctuaries. The contest provides a platform for visual storytellers to highlight the plight of these animals living in captivity and promote their rescue. The contest, which aims to identify the best photo or video of a tiger or other big cat in the U.S., based on overall impact, technical photographic skill, and how well it provokes an emotional connection and portrays an individual animal’s story to the viewer, is open to all entrants. Photos and videos are captured in a careful, respectful manner which puts the welfare of the animals first, of course.
The contest will open for submissions on June 10, 2024 and run until July 15, 2024, with winners announced on July 29, 2024. Prizes include $1,000 for the winning submission and $100 each for five runners-up. Winning submissions will also be posted on the Tigers in America and GFAS websites and social media.
For more information on the contest, including instructions on how to apply and an entry form, please click here.
About Tigers in America
Tigers in America is an all-volunteer rescue organization. Since their inception in 2011 they have rescued and relocated more than 300 tigers and other big cats to accredited sanctuaries in this country. Learn more at https://www.tigersinamerica.org/
Sanctuary Caregivers are superheroes. They care for rescued, ill, and injured animals in all conditions. Rain or shine. Round the clock. Every day of the year. They carry a sense of love and purpose that’s impossible to miss, and surely fuels the work that is by turns beautiful and also incredibly difficult. We’ve remarked on their determination and perseverance, providing loving care that deserves infinite recognition and accolades. So GFAS & NAPSA founded Sanctuary Caregiver Day, to take a day and recognize those caring for the animals so dear to our heart. You are the backbone of this movement. We recognize all you do, all you sacrifice. We recognize your heart and dedication. We THANK YOU.
5 Grant Writing Myths
By Stephanie Mathers
CEO of Grants 4 Animals LLC
Is your organization interested in exploring grants as a potential income stream to fund your lifesaving work? Grants can be an excellent addition to your yearly budget but can also be intimidating and confusing when starting out. In this article, Stephanie Mathers, CEO of Grants 4 Animals goes over some common myths about grant writing and what you need to know as a grant seeker. Read the full article here.
GFAS 2023 Annual Report
GFAS is excited to share the impacts made possible by our work, in 2023. Whether you have partnered with GFAS as a volunteer, a collaborator, or a donor, your support has played such a large role in sustaining our work of helping sanctuaries help animals – thank you!
Please take a moment to reflect on 2023 in the annual report.
GFAS Accreditation: Step-by-Step
Have you ever wondered what it takes to get Accredited or Verified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries? For sanctuaries and rescue centers, perhaps beginning an application for certification with GFAS has been on your to-do list, but you’re not quite sure where to begin. To answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding GFAS certification, we have created a new, short video, How to Prepare for Accreditation or Verification. Give it a watch and let us know if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to working with you, soon!
Wolf Haven International Scores Conservation Success
GFAS has long recognized the vital role sanctuaries can play in support of endangered species and we’d like to spotlight Wolf Haven International and an extraordinary outcome of their work to recover the endangered American Red wolf population. GFAS standards never allow for breeding of animals, with one exception, and that’s sanctuaries working with bona fide endangered species breeding programs. GFAS Accredited, Wolf Haven International, in Tenino, Washington, is one such organization and they are celebrating a litter of wolf pups born in the wild to one of their own.
In partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Wolf Haven has participated in the American Red Wolf SAFE program since 2003 and the Mexican Wolf SAFE program since 1994. Wolves in the program are skillfully cared for through remote camera observation and limited interaction so they remain wild and have the best chance at release.
M2191 was born at Wolf Haven in 2016, and over seven years later was transported to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina. After three months of positive interactions with the Milltail pack through his acclimation pen fence, M2191 was released. Remote cameras recorded him alongside the pack’s breeding female, F2225, and in April, the USFWS confirmed that F2225 and M2191 produced a litter of eight pups.
American Red wolves remain one of the most endangered species in North America, with only 19 to 21 individuals estimated to be living in their native North Carolina habitat. This is the world’s only wild population of American Red wolves.
Well Done Wolf Haven!
Get all the details in these media stories! NPR news article and this BBC news video.
For more information about Wolf Haven International’s American Red wolf and Mexican wolf conservation efforts, please visit wolfhaven.org/conservation/SAFE. Updates from USFWS on the wild American Red wolf population can be found at fws.gov/project/red-wolf-recovery-program.
New Certifications and Renewals
Over the past month, GFAS has renewed three organizations!
Congratulations to these groups!
Renewals
A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary, British Columbia
Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary, Missouri
Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, Texas