Crafting for a Cause: Helping Panthera Africa Get Back on Its Paws
Three months ago, Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary in the Western Cape, South Africa, was hit by a devastating and uncontrollable wildfire.
The fire caused widespread damage to the sanctuary and led to the evacuation of most of its animals to partner sanctuaries across the country. Critical infrastructure and essential resources were destroyed, forcing Panthera Africa to temporarily close its doors to the public.
For more than a decade, Panthera Africa has rescued and cared for big cats who have already endured so much. Many of these animals came from the captive breeding and entertainment industries, where their lives were shaped by fear, exploitation and trauma.
At Panthera Africa, they were finally given something different: safety, dignity, peace and a forever retirement home where they could simply be.
Now, Panthera Africa urgently needs support to continue its recovery, complete all the preparations needed to bring their animals safely home and reopen to the public.
Reopening is not only about welcoming visitors back. It is also a vital step towards re-establishing the sanctuary’s normal income streams, which help keep the animals cared for and the organisation operational. Right now, while the sanctuary remains closed, Panthera Africa is relying solely on public support to continue its work.
I first visited Panthera Africa in 2021 for my mother’s birthday, and it is an experience that has stayed with me ever since.
Seeing these incredible animals up close was unforgettable, but what moved me most was what I saw behind the scenes. The love. The patience. The dedication. The quiet, daily commitment to animals who can never be released into the wild, but who still deserve a life free from harm.
When the wildfire swept through the sanctuary, the damage was heartbreaking. Yet, even through the shock and loss, the team continued to care, protect and do everything possible for their animals every single day.
As someone in the crafting world, I know there is something special about taking old and forgotten treasures and seeing what they could become. With a little imagination, creativity, patience, determination and a whole lot of love, something ordinary can be turned into something beautiful and full of new meaning.
That is the hope for Panthera Africa, too.
After the fire, Panthera Africa is taking what remains and moving into a new chapter. With your support, they can rise from this painful experience stronger than ever.
For more than a decade, Panthera Africa has rescued and cared for big cats who have already endured so much. Many of these animals came from the captive breeding and entertainment industries, where their lives were shaped by fear, exploitation and trauma.
At Panthera Africa, they were finally given something different: safety, dignity, peace and a forever retirement home where they could simply be.
How You Can Help:
There are many different ways for you to get involved, whether you share the fundraiser for awareness, would like to donate, buy some of Panthera's unique Big Cat art pieces, or just want to grab some exclusive crafting resources, you can!
But in honour of this event and what they do, I have put together an exclusive limited-time crafting digital bundle offer for you to grab that contains stencils, cards and mug designs for you to combine in so many incredibly fun ways!
I created a set of Crafting bundles we are lovingly calling “Pawprints in the Sand”, exclusively for this fundraiser. The designs are inspired by something I found completely extraordinary: during their routine vet check-ups, while the cats are safely under sedation, the Panthera Africa team carefully presses each animal's paw into water-soluble, non-toxic paint and creates a print.
A real lion. A real leopard. A real tiger. A real mark.
I took those prints as the starting point for three designs you can use to make your own beautiful projects at home:
Pawprints In The Sand Collection:
🐾 Stencil Bundle (9 stencil designs) $10
🐾 Card Design Bundle (3 full card projects) $10
🐾 Mug Design (8 mug designs) $10
🐾 Full Design Bundle (all three) $25
100% of the proceeds of every bundle purchased (less banking fees) goes directly toward Panthera Africa's recovery.
And if you want to donate more than the purchase price, you can just enter the amount you would like to donate.
Unfortunetley these Bundles are no longer available, but you can support Panthera in other ways
Other ways to donate
We also have a fundraiser that is hosted on GivenGain, a non-profit foundation that helps charities and fundraisers receive support from around the world.
When donating, please consider covering the 8% transaction fees so that Panthera Africa does not need to carry this cost as a non-profit. Any additional contribution helps support the GivenGain Foundation and the infrastructure that makes global giving possible.
You can also donate directly to Panthera Africa through one of the following options:
Buy their Big Cat paw art directly on their website
For donors in the United States, Empowers Africa has partnered with Panthera Africa to provide a cost-effective fundraising option by acting as our fiscal sponsor. Donations made through this option will be granted to Panthera Africa and may also provide tax advantages in your home country.
Absolutely every share and donation – whether big or small is appreciated so very much more than you know in helping Panthera Africa get back on their paws!