Humane World for Animals South Africa

18/06/2026

🥓➡️🫘 What if Kevin Bacon became Kevin Bean? 😄

That’s exactly what he’s doing to help launch , a simple new movement encouraging people to swap meat for beans every Wednesday! One small change can make a big difference for animals, the planet, and your health. 💚🌎🐷

🔗 Learn why Kevin Bean is all in and join the movement! ⤵️

17/06/2026

A recent viral story shared by Good Things Guy and many other media outlets shows a close encounter between an elephant and a safari vehicle—an "unforgettable" moment. The Good Things Guy's article rightly reminds us: “Elephants are magnificent animals, but they are also wild animals.” i.e. wild at heart.

But there’s an important reality we cannot ignore.

This was not a truly "wild" elephant, nor did the incident take place in the Kruger National Park itself. The elephant in question is a habituated, orphaned female, fitted with a tracking collar and living in a reserve bordering the Greater Kruger area.

This kind of behaviour—approaching and directly engaging with vehicles—is not natural. It is the result of extensive human habituation.

While no one was harmed, moments like this carry real risk. Elephants are immensely powerful and can be unpredictable. Situations can escalate in seconds, with serious consequences for both people and the animals.

We must be careful about what we celebrate and share. Vehicle issues aside, such “Hollywood-style thrill seeking” encounters may seem magical, but they misrepresent truly wild elephant behaviour and risk normalising unsafe practices. Authentic do not look like this—and they shouldn’t.

Let’s champion ethical, respectful wildlife experiences that prioritise safety, science, and the wellbeing of elephants.

🐘
🐘
🐘

A viral clip from the Kruger is reminding South Africans why nature deserves both admiration and respect after an elephant approached...

14/06/2026

Today, on , we join our global partners in calling on the South African government and governments around the world to end the of animals by sea.

Animals transported by sea endure stress, suffering, injury, disease, and often death. This cruel practice has no place in society.

South Africa has an opportunity to lead by ending live exports and promoting humane alternatives that protect animals from unnecessary suffering.



John Steenhuisen
Stop Live Export SA

📸 Beauty Without Cruelty (South Africa)

08/06/2026

🙏A heartfelt thank you to our partners, supporters, and followers for joining us for the screening of "What Feeds Us". Your engagement in this important conversation about the treatment of farmed animals within our food systems helps foster meaningful dialogue on rights, justice, and compassion for all. By participating in these discussions, you are helping to drive positive change.

🫶We are grateful to everyone who attended, shared their perspectives, and contributed to the thought-provoking conversations sparked by the 🎥documentary.

For those who would like to learn more, here is more information about "What Feeds Us" and its upcoming screening dates.
Together, we can continue building a more humane world for animals.

06/06/2026

World Environment Day, observed annually on June 5, is the United Nations' premier platform for driving global awareness and inspiring action to protect our planet.🌎

It is therefore especially fitting that "Tuskers. Saving The Last Gentle Giants", a film by Nick Chevallier and Leigh Wood paying homage to the plight of the magnificent super tusker 🐘elephants of the cross border Greater population, was awarded 🥇 in the 8th International Tourism Film Festival of Africa Wildlife and Conservation, Preservation of Natural Habitats (Elephants and Rhinos) Category Awards last night.

As sponsors to and participants in the documentary, Humane World for Animals South Africa are delighted that this film has recieved international recognition. 👏 We applaud the tireless efforts of Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Joyce Poole, , Big Life Foundation and others who continue to protect these elephants and the enviroments that they inhabit. We thank the other participants for highlighting how trophy hunting threatens these living icons now, and in the future.

🙌 Congratulations to James Byrne and the sponsors for an incredible event, and to all the winners. With 438 entries from 47 countries, the diversity showcased the wonders of .

The event also celebrated South African National Parks 100th birthday 🎂 A heritage.

With Humane World for Animals Humane World for Animals UK Environmental Investigation Agency Born Free Foundation The Kesho Trust: an international conservation charitable organization Will Travers Bob Poole Films Ross Harvey Good Governance Africa Hatari.Travel

29/05/2026

🐘A pivotal moment for wildlife—and a sobering loss

Today, the world mourns the passing of "Happy", an African elephant who spent her life in captivity at the Bronx Zoo—20 years alone—despite global efforts by the Nonhuman Rights Project and others to move her to a true sanctuary. Happy died following euthanasia announced by the zoo.

In South Africa, the reality is no different. In 2019, Humane World for Animals South Africa called to , Johannesburg Zoo’s lonely African elephant, by submitting a petition, alongside moving letters and artwork by students from Zoetendal Akademie/ Academy and Greyton House, to the Johannesburg City Council and the then Mayor. Instead, two more African elephants—Ramadiba and Mopane—were added to the zoo's Elephant House.

In 2022, Animal Law Reform South Africa, the EMS Foundation, and Chief Stephen Fritz launched legal action to secure the release of the Johannesburg elephants, and that case was heard last week. Judgment is now reserved.

Subsequently, on 26 May 2026, South Africa’s Constitutional Court is considering a landmark case on whether “well-being” should remain part of our biodiversity law. A case that could shape the future of wildlife protection in our country. The case, brought by hunting industry interests, challenges these provisions on procedural grounds. The NSPCA - National Council of SPCAs and EMS Foundation, intervening in the matter, argued that removing “well-being” would undermine evolving constitutional jurisprudence recognising wild animals as sentient beings with intrinsic value.

These moments are connected.

The question remains: will the law truly recognise the well-being of wild animals, both free-roaming and captive, and how we manage them?

📸Selected artwork by Grade 3-5 students from Zoetendal Academy and Greyton House

28/05/2026

Following the successful Cape Town premiere on 27 March 2026, the second screening of "What Feeds Us" will take place in Johannesburg on 30 May 2026. Humane World for Animals South Africa is hosting the screening in partnership with Union Against Hunger and The Forge in collaboration with other events.

🐄🐓 The screening aims to situate animals into food justice discourse, raise awareness about our treatment of farmed animals in the food system and encourage meaningful conversations around the indivisibility of rights and justice for all. The event will bring together animal welfare advocates, those interested in food sovereignty, community members, and stakeholders committed to advancing a just food system.

🌍 Follow us as we bring the documentary to provinces across the country and reach out to us if you’re interested in hosting a screening in your community.

Be part of the discussion. Be part of the change.

📸 Nikki Botha

27/05/2026

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona hosted the recent Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control 10th International Conference on Wildlife Fertility Control, where Dr. Audrey Delsink, principal for wildlife at Humane World for Animals South Africa, Grace Kahler, program manager for wildlife protection U.S. at Humane World for Animals presented, and Stephanie Boyles Griffin, senior principal for wildlife protection U.S. at Humane World for Animals, attended.

In this week’s Humane World Blog, read more about Humane World for Animals’ leading role in fertility control for 🐘 elephants, 🐎 wild horses, 🫏 burros, and suburban 🦌 white-tailed deer—demonstrating that these methods are no longer theoretical, but practical, proven, and ready to expand.

Earlier this spring, our experts gathered in Spain with colleagues from around the world to talk about fertility control for wildlife and its broader relationship to the question of human-wildlife coexistence. As human populations and development have increased, wildlife populations have been pushed...