Legacy Fund

The Legacy Fund carries forward the spirit of Amber, Or, and Sarabi — three magnificent big cats who paved the way for Isindile Sanctuary’s mission. Though they are no longer with us, their stories inspire everything we do.

This fund supports the sanctuary as a whole, ensuring continued rescue, care, and lifelong protection for all our animals. By contributing here, you help preserve their legacy and give future generations of big cats the safe home they deserve.

Below you can explore their full stories and choose to give in their memory — helping us build a better tomorrow for all rescued big cats.

Remembering

Amber & Or

Amber and Or were our first ever rescues and the day they arrived, ISINDILE was officially born and became reality.

They were rescued from the notorious Seaview Predator Park outside of Port Elizabeth, when it finally closed down.

Although Amber and Or were blood sisters, they lived in separate enclosures and we were told that they hated each other. Or always lived alone, but Amber had a male partner called Judah, whose untimely death at the hands of another tiger, was the catalyst for relocating all the big cats from the facility. Judah’s death was not in vain.

Initially, Amber and Or could not find a new home and were the last two big cats left at the facility. We were told that the fact that they lived alone and could not be socialised had made them an unpopular choice for rehoming.

We arrived early on the morning of 17 October 2022 and, following sedation and a quick physical health check by the local veterinarian, we began the 11-hour drive back to the sanctuary. Although the trip was long, it went smoothly.

Until...

As we approached the sanctuary, a huge electric storm suddenly lit up the night sky. It appeared out of nowhere, without any warning. Driving slowly along, we could hear the deep rumble of thunder and watched in awe as the lightning bolts struck the sandstone cliffs in front of us, providing us with a stunning natural fireworks display. As we got to the gate, the heavens opened and the rain pelted down in buckets. It only lasted for 15 minutes and then it was all over, the storm gone as quickly as it had arrived.

We could only conclude that the storm was pure and symbolic synergy between the powerful forces of animal and nature, meant to wash away all the trauma Amber and Or had been through and an announcement that they had arrived at ISINDILE to begin their new life.

The memory of that storm will live with us forever!!

We strongly believed that their previous environment had contributed to their dislike for each other and that under the right circumstances, they could be integrated in future. As such, we built their enclosures with a shared fence and gate in the hopes that one day we could open it and allow them to be together.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans and after only three months at ISINDILE, Or was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer and had to be laid to rest. In that time, Amber and Or would often lie at the fence together, communicating with each other. We never detected any signs of aggression and remain convinced that had Or lived longer, they would have happily shared an enclosure together. We found comfort in the knowledge that Or was still with us in spirit, guarding over ISINDILE. Or became the Spirit of Isindile.

After Or’s passing, Amber was the only big cat at ISINDILE and she craved our company. Every morning when we went up to visit her, she was already waiting for us. The three of us would spend hours walking along her fence line or quietly sitting together, surrounded by the beauty and tranquillity of nature. Amber loved lying at the top of her enclosure, staring into the distance with a look that gave the impression of ownership. It was this attitude that resulted in her becoming the Queen of Isindile, a title she carried with distinction.

Amber was an extremely vocal tiger and continually surprised us with new sounds. She had the most beautiful way of humming quietly as we walked around her enclosure and groaning as she rolled back and forth in the grass.

Although initially very apprehensive with the arrival of Atlarela, Mtazamaji and Bina alongside her, she quickly developed a very deep affection for them. Every evening at feeding time, she patiently waited for them to appear and would then greet each one individually. Atlarela was always the first to reach Amber and the two of them loved keeping each other company while waiting for Mtazamaji and Bina to slowly make their way up the hill.

Sadly, as with Or, Amber suddenly became ill and deteriorated rapidly. As it was an emergency, the local veterinarian was called in. Amber was sedated and given a thorough examination. To our horror, the vet informed us that she had advanced cancer of the kidneys and spleen. While under sedation, Amber passed away.

In an amazing display of affection and respect, Atlarela, Mtazamaji and Bina gave her a royal send-off, befitting of the queen she was… quietly sitting at their fence witnessing the passing of the Queen of Isindile.

Remembering

Sarabi

Sarabi and Leila were surrendered to ISINDILE where they were kept as pets on a residential property in Gauteng. Their previous “owner” became concerned about the safety of his employees.

After being a very friendly, chuffing tiger when we met Sarabi early the morning of the relocation to ISINDILE, she became a very angry, aggressive animal when released. We soon realised that both Sarabi and Leila were acting out of fear and we gave them the time and space they needed to settle in to their new home. They had to get used to all the new sounds, smells, and sights as well as the space they suddenly had. Sarabi and Leila were only used to life as pets and had to learn to be tigers.

Sarabi’s very unique colouring is referred to as a golden tabby or strawberry tiger. This colour variation is due to the recessive gene mutation known as Erythrism, where all black is replaced by light brown and light orange. They are not a different species to other colour variations of Bengal tigers.

Sarabi had a shy personality and was not a very active tiger. She often preferred to find herself a quiet spot to relax amongst the bushes in the enclosure she shared with Leila. When she did come out to greet us, it was often accompanied by the softest, most gentle chuff.

Unfortunately...

Sarabi’s death on 25 February 2025 was a massive shock to all of us at ISINDILE. Having discussed the symptoms of her sudden and unexpected death with Dr Peter Caldwell, it was decided to conduct a full postmortem at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Veterinary medicine at Onderstepoort.

The findings were mostly related to congenital defects directly linked to the horrific levels of inbreeding prevalent in South Africa’s captive tiger breeding industry.

Sarabi has an unusually short and constricted trachea with a kink in her distal oesophagus. Together, they made it difficult for her to swallow and explained the regurgitation issue that we observed when she ate too quickly. There is also a strong likelihood that she suffered from Myastenia gravis – a chronic autoimmune disease causing weakness in the voluntary muscles essential for breathing, chewing and swallowing, predisposing her to an increased likelihood of choking.

In short, Sarabi was yet another victim of human exploitation for the sake of man’s greed, ego and entertainment.

Sarabi’s message to the world is simple and clear – do justice to my short life by helping to bring an end to the captive tiger breeding industry and the resultant suffering being imposed on one of nature’s most majestic and iconic beings.

We will never forget you, Sarabi.