Friends of Yemen Zoos

31/12/2024

Hello everyone!

We hope you’ve all had a lovely Christmas and Holiday Season so far.

We are rapidly approaching the end of 2024 now, with just a few hours to go, and of course some countries are already celebrating the start of 2025.

We couldn’t let these few final hours of 2024 go without a few more words. We wanted to thank each and every one of you with all our hearts, for your support this year, whether you’ve donated, shared, liked or given us any other help. It’s been a very tough year for the world in so many ways, but we so appreciate your help along our journey to improve life for the animals in Taiz, and especially for showing the zoo that you care and want to make a difference. The animals and people of Taiz Zoo are not forgotten.

We are attaching a video straight from the Zoo Director in Taiz to thank you all for your support. There will be new projects in 2025, and hopefully this year we can do more for the Arabian leopards. We thank everyone at the zoo for working with us, especially the Zoo Director, and everyone at the zoo for looking after and caring for the animals in such difficult circumstances. We are thinking of you all and your families in Taiz as we start the new year. You are always in our hearts and prayers.

Our thoughts are with you and your families. Here’s to peace, good health and happiness for you all in 2025.

All best wishes

Diane and Sally and everyone at Taiz Zoo

26/12/2024

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for your kind likes and responses to our posts, they mean a lot to us. It means a lot to the zoo as well as it shows they that they are not forgotten during these very turbulent times.

You may have heard that Yemen was in the news today. We have just heard from the Zoo Director in Taiz and he says they are all okay there, and also at Sana'a Zoo and Ibb Zoo. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Yemen, especially those at the zoos there.

We hope you're all well.

All best wishes and thanks

Sally and Diane

23/12/2024

Hello everyone,

What a year it has been everywhere! We hope you and your families are all well as we approach the end of 2024 and that you’re all looking forward to the holidays. We just wanted to take a few moments to look back over the year and the changes you’ve helped us achieve for the animals in Taiz. Every action to do this means a lot to the zoo; the Director has huge respect for you all and he appreciates your support and help.

In October/November, we made an appeal for funds for minerals and vitamins. The animals are receiving the vitamins and medications they need to see them into winter and the zoo reports that they are all well, thanks to you all and your support.

In September, the zoo made an emergency appeal for our help in repairing the lions’ enclosure. Those lions had been a bit naughty ...

And in August/September, thanks to one particular donor, half of the Arabian leopards cages received constructed trees the leopards can climb. As you know, leopards are very agile and climbing is one of their special skills – so it’s great that the trees give them a chance to practice! We know you’re keen that the leopards have more enrichment and we are constantly in touch with the Zoo Director to see what he can do.

In June/July, thanks to your support, we were able to send funds so that the animals could have vitamins and minerals.

In May, the baboons’ enclosure received some love and attention, as there were holes in the floors which made them dangerous for both baboons and workers. Thanks to your support, we were able to fund the repair and maintenance of the baboons’ enclosure and also give them more enrichment activities.

In February, there was an urgent appeal to replace rusty water containers with natural stone water basins, and the work was completed so that the lions could enjoy fresh drinking water. The water for the animals has to be brought in to the zoo.

The 10th February also saw Arabian Leopard Day, a chance to raise awareness of this incredibly rare cats.

In January, you funded platforms for the Arabian leopards to give them the chance to get them off the floors which are often very cold and very wet. The leopards have enjoyed the shelves, often tucking into their lunch whilst sitting on them and of course the shelves also give them the chance to practice those vital climbing skills!

During Ramadan, the zoo has received lots of visitors and it’s been great to hear the children’s excited voices when they see all the different animals.

As we approach 2025, we would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all your support in whatever form you’ve given it, whether it’s been an encouraging and kind comment, donating to an appeal, taking out a monthly donation, or spreading the world on social media and sharing our posts. It’s meant a lot to us and also to the zoo in Taiz – the world has not forgotten. We could not make these improvements without your help and support.

As you know, this year we were really hoping to get the leopards outside but a lot of the work we’ve done was needed unexpectedly, and urgently so we weren’t able to move forward with it. We now need to work with the zoo to work out how we can move forward, both for the leopards and the other animals in Taiz.

We would also like to thank everyone in Taiz and the Zoo Director for continuing to work with us. We really value our relationship with the zoo and our thanks to all those in Taiz who are working to care for the animals in extremely challenging and difficult circumstances. You are all amazing, the way you keep going. We wish you and your families well for 2025.

Praying for peace in Yemen and everywhere affected by conflict in the world. Let us hope and pray 2025 is a calmer, more loving year.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2025 with all our hearts

With best wishes and huge thanks from us all

Diane and Sally and everyone in Taiz xx

23/12/2024

No Monday madness at the zoo. Leopard and Mr. Croc show Mondays are for chilling. oh Leopards gives the dreamy smooze look while Croc give a smile.

14/12/2024

Thank-you all for the winter vitamins and minerals support....look at our beautiful Taiz Zoo Lions. Please continue to support us for just 1 ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoosmake a huge difference in their lives. .

06/12/2024

Hello Everyone, we just received many new videos of the lions and Arabian Leopards. We would like to make a short movie in the coming days, but here is one to wish you a nice weekend and thanking everyone for not forgetting them and giving them a better life in war times in Yemen.
We have done so much for them and we together we can continue to work on project basis for the Taiz Zoo in 2025. THANK-YOU.

20/11/2024

Round 2 of winter vitamins & medications Taiz Zoo. Thank you everyone for donating to buy these important necessities to keep the animals healthy. ❤️❤️ Friends of Yemen Zoos

10/11/2024

Hi everyone,

We hope you've all had a good weekend.

We wanted to let you know that the zoo now has vitamins and minerals for the animals - there are more to come - and they've sent us this video to say a very big thank you to all of you who supported this appeal. The zoo really appreciates it, and so do we - and so do the animals!

Thank you all again

Best wishes

Sally

07/11/2024

Hello everyone

We have received more photos from the Director of Taiz Zoo showing the leopards in their tree! So they are definitely getting used to them...

Thank you everyone for your support - please help us do more by donating at our Ko-Fi page!

https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

All best wishes

Sally

06/11/2024

Hello everyone,

We hope you're all well and that you had a good weekend.

The Director of the zoo in Taiz has sent us these photos of the leopards climbing their trees! It's great to see them doing this and a big thank you to the main donor and those of you who contributed to this project to make it happen.

We will have news of the vitamins, minerals and salts very soon.

Thank you so much for your support, these will make a big difference to the animals. Please continue to support us if you can at our Ko-Fi page.

https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

Take care everyone

All best wishes

Sally and Diane

26/10/2024

❤️ Because of supporters the critically endangered leopards at the Taiz Zoo Yemen are able to enjoy trees for climbing, scratching, sometimes eating, this was an incredible project as they had NOTHING before.
We had a supporter step up and choose this project as her favorite, for this the zoo and the leopards are very very grateful. You can choose what to support at the zoo.
We appreciate every supporter and for every project we do we realize it is only because of your love and support for the Taiz Zoo Yemen animals we can help the zoo. ♥️🦁🐆

25/10/2024

25/10/2024

Hello everyone. We had a question on us, what we do, why, and how. First, to support the animals of Taiz or zoo animals in Yemen against war time conditions. We were and still are supporters, like you, for years.But we wanted to see projects and improvements to the zoo. We decided we would give it a go on project basis and we have had great support on most of the zoo project needs.
🦁🦁Second, WOW have we (us)made EXTREME changes to the zoo animals lives. ALL LIONS LIVE OUTDOORS.
Last, Here we are and here is a reminder where the donations go, as we our last project of the year winter Vitamins and medications for the entire zoo was sent out, these images show why we do what we do. Before and after your YOUR SUPPORT. ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

See comments, added additional pictures

22/10/2024

Hello!

We wanted to thank everyone who has donated to our urgent appeal for funds to provide vitamins, minerals and salts to the animals in the zoo in Taiz. The Zoo’s Director has made an urgent request for these, and we want to make sure the animals get them. We are half-way there with this appeal, so please, if you can, donate the cost of a coffee and spread the word!

Once again, we want to thank you all for your support, from the bottom of our hearts. The animals in Taiz are all so very special, and they all have our love, our will to help and our wish to make a difference. Our thoughts are with them and everyone at the Zoo. Please let’s do what we can to help them and show them that they aren’t forgotten. https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

Thank you all.

With best wishes

Diane and Sally

21/10/2024

Hello everyone

The Director at Taiz Zoo has made an urgent request for funds for medicines, vitamins and salts for the animals. The vet at the Zoo has asked for these to help the animals through the winter.

The animals would really benefit from these – the Arabian leopards, the lions, all kinds of birds, the little honey badger, the hyenas, domestic cats, lynx, porcupines and monkeys.

Last year, the lions and Arabian leopards had the medicines and vitamins, but this year all the animals will get them to help protect them in the winter with its conditions.

We have done a number of projects this year, thanks to all your support, but as you will know if you’ve been following us, we have also had some unexpected ones to fit in such as the repairs and maintenance to the baboons’ and lions’ enclosures. So our funds are running low at the moment, which will impact on our ability to do more projects; if you are able to, please, please help by donating the cost of a coffee for the supplies needed by the vet for the animals at our Ko-Fi Page! The animals will really appreciate your support, as will everyone in Taiz.

https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

Thank you so much for your support. Please also help us by sharing this appeal if you can.

All best wishes

Sally and Diane

14/10/2024

Progress on lion enclosure to keep them and the visitors safe.Essential project to keep them outdoors. Please consider helping us to keep them outdoors with a modest 4.00 donation, everything helps the animals. Ko-fi friends of yemen zoos. https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

06/10/2024

Hello everyone,

We hope you've all had a good weekend.

We just wanted to let you know that we heard from the zoo Director in this evening and everyone is okay and safe. We'll let you know as we get more news. Meantime, thank you all very much for your support.

https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

All best wishes

Diane and Sally

05/10/2024

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for your kind messages for everyone at the zoo, we do appreciate them and so does the zoo.

The Zoo Director kindly sent us the photo today of two of the lions having a doze...

Everyone at the zoo is okay (5th October 2024), and work is being completed on the maintenance and repairs for the lions' enclosure. This is very good news because the repairs will mean that the lions can be outside and safe, and the public will also be safe. Thank you everyone for your support. Please continue to help and support us improve life for the animals in Taiz!

https://ko-fi.com/friendsofyemenzoos

We hope you are all having a good weekend.

With all best wishes

Diane and Sally