News & stories
Updates from Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife.
9 February 2023
Kahrba, Dana and Halab
Kahrba, Dana and Halab roaring at this strange white visitor! They are a little unsure at first but they soon realise how fun it is to play in the snow!
9 February 2023
Snow at Al-Ma'wa February 2023
Our animals enjoying the snow at Al Ma'wa Al Ma'wa will be closed today and tomorrow
10 December 2022
Rocket, the albino raccoon!
Rocket, the albino raccoon! He is very inquisitive and can usually be found investigating different areas of his home using his strong sense of smell!
26 November 2022
Bestfriends
Sukkar and Loz! These Asian Black Bears are best friends and do everything together! They even scratch at the same time!
24 November 2022
Kandaka and Mansour settling in
Kandaka and Mansour Both lions have settled into their new home and have started to enjoy exploring it! Mansour loves this platform as his new favourite place to be, overlooking his beautiful, spaciou...
10 September 2022
Beautiful Balou is 20 years old!
Beautiful Balou! Balou will be turning 20 years old this year! He is very healthy, but with his age, he enjoys quieter, more peaceful days lately. This usually includes relaxing under his favourite tr...
4 August 2022
Balou and Lula Update
Since Balou and Lula's integration in the summer of 2020, their relationship has continued to strengthen and blossom! They can often be found roaming around their beautiful home together after swimmin...
15 July 2022
Rocket the Albino Racoon
Rocket is an albino raccoon who was rescued from the illegal trade in Qatar and was relocated to Al-Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife towards the end of 2019. Albinism is caused by a lack of melanin which...
15 April 2022
Lula Swimming at Al Ma'wa
Lovely Lula splashing and playing in her pool! She is much more relaxed now and enjoying her life at Al-Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife!
15 March 2022
Vervet Monkeys at Al Ma'wa
Vervet monkeys are under threat from the illegal pet trade. Although they are beautiful animals, they are wild animals that can be unpredictable and dangerous and therefore do not make good pets. You...
22 February 2022
Mahzooz, the Nile Crocodile was Released into the Wild
Mahzooz, a Nile Crocodile, who was confiscated from the illegal pet trade has found freedom thanks to collaborative efforts with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), after being released...
15 February 2022
Wolves at Al Ma'wa
Wolves in general are very cautious animals and so it took a little bit of time for them to acclimate to their new environment. However, nowadays both groups of wolves are very relaxed with each other...
4 January 2022
Laith and Pablo's Pride has Separated
Despite our greatest efforts, some problems began to arise between Marion and Dohal, so they had to be separated to safeguard their health and welfare. Marion now lives peacefully with Laith and Labwa...
10 December 2021
Shojaa, Hadee and Aussie
Shojaa, along with his brothers Hadee and Aussie love to have fun and can often be found climbing trees!
2 December 2021
Beautiful Bubloo enjoying his space
Beautiful Bubloo 🐻 He is loving the new smells that autumn brings! 🍂 He can often be found relaxing under a tree and enjoying his space ❤
2 November 2021
Suzie is not with us anymore
It is with a heavy heart that we must share the sad news that Suzie is not with us anymore. Suzie arrived at Al-Ma'wa at the end of 2020 after being entrusted to our care by authorities in Islamabad w...
10 September 2021
Nine wolves moved to Al Ma'wa
Nine wolves have recently moved to Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife. They all have different backgrounds and are currently living in two separate groups. Wolves are naturally shy and cautious animals...
5 September 2021
Sama passed away due to natural causes
In August of 2021, Sama passed away due to natural causes. It took some time for Hamza and Luna to adjust to Sama's passing but they are now back to their normal behaviours and enjoying their time tog...
11 August 2021
Scar and his new home
Scar has become much more relaxed in his new home and loves to spend his days in his den, where he feels safe. Scar is estimated to be around 17 years old so spends most of his days relaxing and enjoy...
6 August 2021
Bubloo update in his new home
Bubloo is much more relaxed in his new home now, but is still a little shy of humans. During quieter times, he will spend time relaxing in his pool and then exploring his home. Suzie is also still qui...
15 July 2021
Sukkar and Loz new home!
Sukkar and Loz have a new home! Both Asian Black Bears were recently moved to their beautiful brand new enclosure and they are really enjoying themselves exploring their new home and bathing in their...
3 July 2021
Marion
Marion has overcome a traumatic past and multiple surgeries resulting from being declawed before her rescue by Four Paws. Despite these challenges, she continues to grow more confident each day and ha...
26 June 2021
Dobbie his new home
Dobbie completely relaxed in his new home! He was recently moved to a bigger enclosure with a den which he absolutely loves! This may make it difficult to see him when you visit, but know that he is v...
13 June 2021
Scar our newest addition
Our newest addition to Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife is Scar, a striped hyena! He was confiscated from a local Jordanian zoo in 2010 and it is estimated that he is now over 17 years old. Unfortunat...
11 May 2021
Bubloo's amazing progress in his new home
Bubloo is making such amazing progress in his new home! He loves to explore and find exciting things to keep him busy and having fun! It is so important for our animals to have species appropriate enr...
24 April 2021
Sleepy Balou
Sweet, sleepy Balou.
19 April 2021
Bubloo new home
Bubloo recently moved to his new home in Al Ma'wa and is loving it! He spends his days exploring his new space and having fun in his pool!
24 March 2021
Cassie
Cassie, a beautiful elderly spotted hyena, is thriving at Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife! You can usually find her relaxing in the sun
18 March 2021
Layla
Layla, along with Dohal, was seized from the illegal trade and brought to Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife where they could live in a species appropriate environment. It was through dedicated work by...
2 March 2021
Suzie and Bublou
Suzie and Bublou are making such great progress every single day! Suzie has become very playful!
28 February 2021
Snow day at Al Ma'wa
Snow day at Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife!
12 February 2021
Max surgery
Gorgeous Max! Max had to undergo surgery to amputate the end of his tail as it had turned necrotic. He has since fully recovered and is doing absolutely great now!
5 February 2021
Bublou and Suzie progress
Bublou and Suzie are making great progress every day! They are much more comfortable in their quarantine enclosure and we are hoping to move them to their permanent home in Al Ma'wa in the next few we...
13 January 2021
Marion
Marion! Despite her difficult past and being declawed, Marion does not let this limit her life and is doing extremely well within her pride!
9 January 2021
Bubloo and Suzie
Bubloo and Suzie were brought to Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife following a rescue mission by Four Paws International in Pakistan. Both bears were previous dancing bears but have made good progress...
31 December 2020
Happy new year
Happy New year from Bayhas and the Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife team! We wish you a very prosperous year!
6 December 2020
Dobbie the striped heyna
Dobbie, a striped hyena, who was moved to Al Ma'wa in June 2020, has shown incredible progress with how comfortable he now is in his new home. Although shy and quiet, Dobbie is now venturing around hi...
30 November 2020
Three bear cub siblings
The three bear cub siblings rescued in February 2019 have grown so much and are doing very well. They are still very mischievous and enjoy their time digging and playing together. This is Aussie!
27 October 2020
A very relaxed Marion at Al Ma'wa
A very relaxed Marion! Marion has settled in very well at Al-Ma'wa and is particularly close to Labwa and Laith, the other lions she was rescued with.
4 September 2020
Dobbie, a striped hyena rescued in 2010
Dobbie, a striped hyena, was rescued in 2010 from a local zoo. He is approximately 14 years old and was brought to Al Ma'wa from our rehabilitation centre in June 2020. He has adjusted very well to hi...
27 August 2020
Aussie, Hadee and Shujaa
Aussie, Hadee and Shujaa! These three bear cub siblings were rescued from a local zoo by Animals Australia in February 2019. After going through the first stage of our rehabilitation programme, they w...
26 August 2020
Welcome to Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife
Welcome to Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife! Special appreciation for Freedom Media Production.
29 June 2020
Newest member of Al Ma'wa Sanctuary
Meet our newest member of Al Ma'wa Sanctuary – Cassie! Cassie is a female spotted hyena, who was rescued along with 12 other animals by Four Paws from Aleppo, Syria in 2017. Although there were no med...
13 June 2020
Balou and Lula integration story
Balou, a Syrian Brown Bear confiscated from a sad situation in a local zoo, joined New Hope in 2010. At that time, Al Ma'wa had not yet been established. He had lived in a small barren enclosure with...
11 June 2020
Opening our doors again
Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife announced the reopening of its facility to visitors beginning June 9th. Operating hours are 10AM-3PM on weekdays and 10AM-4PM on weekends, with Mondays closed. Ticket...
6 April 2020
Balou and Lula
Balou and Lula have been getting to know each other over the last few months, in the hopes that they can live together! 🐻🐻 Through careful consideration, Lula and Balou have swapped enclosures to ge...
15 March 2020
See you in two weeks
In consideration of the Corona-virus (COVID-19) Pandemic, Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife will be closed for a period of 2 weeks, beginning today. We are sure you are aware of the reasons for closure...
6 January 2020
Al Ma'wa will be offering visitors a discount
Tash has some exciting news! Al Ma'wa will be offering visitors a discount for visits during the weekdays, provided a booking has been made! Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday Jordanian adults: 4JD Children und...
3 October 2019
Hamza Luna and Sama integration
Hamza, Luna and Sama have been successfully integrated into their own pride. As you can see, they are very comfortable with each other and thrive on each other's company! ❤
22 September 2019
Integration of Kahraba Halab and Dana
We are so happy to announce the successful integration of Kahraba, Halab, and Dana, who are now happily living together! Can you see the smile on Kahraba's face?!
1 September 2019
Hawsa showing off her running jump!
Our beautiful Hawsa showing off her running jump and grabbing her toy! Have you visited Al Ma'wa Yet?
27 August 2019
Beautiful Dohal and Layla relaxing
Tongue out Tuesday! Dohal and Layla love relaxing with each other ❤! Have you visited them yet?
23 August 2019
Balou the Syrian Bear and his climbing skills!
Balou showing off his climbing skills!? Did you know that Syrian Brown Bears are great climbers!? Photos by : Lee Toddswanson
15 August 2019
Sukkar and Loz playing together
Sukkar and Loz are getting along greatly and are truly enjoying each other's company! Isn't it wonderful to see them playing together? ❤
9 August 2019
Eid Mubarak from Al Ma'wa team
Eid Mubarak! Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife will be closed for the first two days of Eid, but Max and Muna will be waiting for you to visit on the third day of Eid Al-Adha! Please make sure you book...
2 August 2019
Integration of Dana and Halab
Al Ma'wa team has started the integration of Dana and Halab, two of the lionesses rescued by Four Paws from Syria in 2017. They are both doing great together and it is hoped that Kahraba, another lion...
28 July 2019
The progress of Pablo at Al Ma'wa
Al Ma'wa team are so happy with the progress Pablo has made since coming into our care! From being kept in an empty concrete enclosure by himself, he now lives in a beautiful species-appropriate envir...
26 July 2019
Hamza enjoying ripping a ball of straw apart
Hamza, who was recently featured on @natgeo, enjoying ripping a ball of straw apart! Photo By: Muhammed Muheisen
25 June 2019
Open vacancies at Al Ma'wa
Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife announced open positions for animal keepers and security staff. Animal keepers responsibilities include daily feeding and food preparation, safety inspections of anima...
20 June 2019
Two groups of lion cubs successfully integrated
Laith and Pablo's Pride is made up of two groups of lion cubs who were successfully integrated. The first group consist of Pablo, Layla and Dohal. Layla and Dohal were found being sold online. After a...
20 June 2019
Introducing Sukkar and Loz to each other
After a long process of introducing Sukkar and Loz to each other, they have both been successfully integrated so they can now enjoy playing and interacting with one another. They have a great relation...
16 June 2019
Pelican spotted on the beach
One of the pelicans we released a few months ago was spotted strolling down the beach, clearly enjoying her new freedom
25 May 2019
Students from Australia!
Amazing work done by Year 3.2 in Beechboro Christian School, Australia, describing how magnificent Simba is! It is great to see how the story of our animals are being used for educational purposes aro...
12 May 2019
Loki, Rumi, and Jamal, three Syrian Brown Bears
Loki, Rumi and Jamal, three Syrian Brown Bears were rescued from a local Jordanian zoo by Animals Australia. They were kept in deplorable conditions but now enjoy feeling grass under their feet with l...
8 May 2019
Nile Crocodile at The New Hope Centre
The New Hope Centre is the permanent home for Anubis, our Nile Crocodile, who was confiscated from the illegal trade in 2015! He was moved to his inside enclosure due to the winter weather but will be...
1 May 2019
Laith , Marion , and Labwa
Laith, Marion and Labwa, the lion cubs rescued by FOUR PAWS International from a zoo in Gaza, have settled into their new species-appropriate home at Al Ma'wa Sanctuary and are clearly very relaxed an...
28 April 2019
Three Indian Crested Porcupine release
Three Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix Indica) were recently released into the wild, after being rescued by FOUR PAWS International from a zoo in Gaza. They were given a medical examination and relea...
16 April 2019
Foxes released into the wild in Jordan.
Two gorgeous foxes were rescued by Four Paws from a zoo in Gaza. After receiving proper medical examinations and nutrition, they were healthy enough to be released into the wild in Jordan. They can no...
15 April 2019
Release of three pelicans into the wild
Three gorgeous pelicans, rescued by Four Paws from Gaza, were brought to the New Hope Centre where they received medical check ups. With great thanks to the Royal Society for Conservation of Nature, a...
13 April 2019
Gorgeous Dohal has grown so much!
Gorgeous Dohal has grown so much! Dohal along with Pablo and Layla have formed a beautiful pride and we look forward to seeing them grow into adults!
10 April 2019
Three lions rescued from Gaza
Following a rescue mission by Four Paws in Gaza, Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife welcomed a group of animals to the New Hope Centre and Al Ma'wa Sanctuary, including three young lions named Laith, Ma...
6 April 2019
Eagle Owl surrendered to the New Hope Centre
This beautiful 1 year old Eagle Owl was surrendered to the New Hope Centre by her owner who could no longer care for her. She is in excellent condition and could have been released into the wild had h...
29 March 2019
Splish, Splash, Sukkar is having a bath!
Splish, Splash, Sukkar is having a bath! Sukkar is not letting this gloomy weather stop him from having fun!
24 March 2019
Vervet Monkeys at the New Hope Centre
The New Hope Centre is the permanent home to our 16 Vervet Monkeys, who were all confiscated at different times from the illegal trade. They enjoy spending their days socialising with each other, rela...
21 March 2019
Baby Baboon confiscated by The RSCN
We recently received this young baboon who was confiscated from the illegal trade by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. On Mother's Day, when we should be celebrating the special relati...
17 March 2019
The Greek Tortoises Update
The Greek Tortoises that were confiscated in November 2018 on the Syrian-Jordanian border by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature have been making good progress at the New Hope Centre. The...
24 February 2019
Glorious Spring Flowers at Al Ma'wa
The glorious spring flowers at Al Ma'wa have set Balou dreaming!
14 February 2019
Valentine's Day at Al Ma'wa!
Al-Ma'wa Sanctuary for Wildlife and Nature was full of love on Valentine's Day this year! Our animals thoroughly enjoyed our Valentine's gifts for them!
20 January 2019
Three Lion Cubs Integration
Dohal and Layla, the cubs confiscated during a major undercover investigation by the environmental police, have been integrated with Pablo, the lion cub confiscated by Animals Australia, in order to k...
16 January 2019
Dohal and Layla at the New Hope Centre
Dohal and Layla have clearly made themselves at home at the New Hope Centre and are having a lot of fun playing around!
10 January 2019
Roya report about Al Ma'wa
It was a pleasure to host Ro'ya tv at Al Ma'wa Sanctuary during the beautiful snowy weather, thank you for the amazing report.
7 January 2019
Fun Snow Day at Al Ma'wa
Our animal residents at Al Ma'wa had a very fun snow day on January 7th, 2019! Whilst some of the animals were not sure what to make of the cold, white fluffy snow that settled in the sanctuary, they...
3 January 2019
Two Confiscated Lion Cubs
These two lion cubs were found being sold online. A major undercover investigation by the environmental police with the assistance of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature was undertaken to...
23 December 2018
Beautiful Barn Owl from a citizen
We received a phone call from a citizen who was gifted this beautiful Barn Owl. They realised that they could not keep the owl any longer and asked if we could take her. The Barn Owl is in good condit...
20 December 2018
Confiscated Wolf by he RSCN
The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) confiscated this young wolf from the illegal trade. He was brought to the New Hope Centre where he will receive medical checks and undergo the r...
11 December 2018
Little Owl confiscated by the RSCN
A Little Owl was found being sold at a hotel in Amman. The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature confiscated the owl and brought her to the New Hope Centre to receive treatment. When she arrive...
3 December 2018
Decorated Pumpkins at Al Ma'wa
As part of our enrichment programme, we introduced our animals to decorated pumpkins! All of our animals had different reactions but clearly enjoyed playing and even eating them! Check out the video a...
27 November 2018
Confiscated Greek Tortoises
539 Greek tortoises were confiscated by Customs at the Syrian-Jordanian border and transferred to the New Hope Centre by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature on November 16, 2018. Tragical...
17 October 2018
We are now open for visitors!
We are glad to announce that we will be opening to the public on Sunday, October 21, 2018, so that you can meet our 18 lions, 4 bears and 2 tigers! All these animals are rescues and have been rehabili...
15 October 2018
Confiscated Sparrow Hawks
Three Sparrow Hawk chicks were confiscated by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) from the illegal trade and brought to the New Hope Centre (NHC). Although these birds usually migr...
15 October 2018
Seventeen squirrels confiscated
Seventeen squirrels were confiscated from the illegal trade by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and brought to the New Hope Centre in early September 2018. All seventeen squirrels were...
15 October 2018
Confiscated Lesser Spotted Eagle
A local citizen discovered a traumatized Lesser Spotted Eagle on her balcony and contacted Al Ma'wa for assistance. Given the current migration season, experts believe the eagle sought shelter on the...
15 October 2018
Confiscated Egyptian Vulture
A juvenile Egyptian Vulture was confiscated by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) as this bird was being illegally traded. This vulture was brought to the New Hope Centre to begin...
15 October 2018
Confiscated Jackals by the RSCN
Two jackal pups were confiscated from the illegal trade by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and brought to the New Hope Centre (NHC). It is suspected that they are siblings and were ba...
23 July 2018
Birds releasing in natural reserves
Our organization participated with The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in an event addressing "Reduce Bird Morality due to the infrastructure of energy projects in Jordan." The initiative...
4 October 2016
First group of animals moved to Al Ma'wa
The first 4 groups of animals have moved to their new home at the Al Ma'wa reserve. A full Al Ma'wa team along with specialised vets from Germany made this move possible and we are happy to report tha...
23 May 2016
Seven Hedgehogs released at Al Ma'wa
Seven European Hedgehogs were confiscated from private ownership on Saturday 21st May 2016. These hedgehogs are native to Jordan and as all native species, are protected by law. The Hedgehogs were bro...
27 April 2016
Workshop for Veterinary students completed
A six-day workshop for undergraduate students from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at Jordan University of Science & Technology was conducted at Al Ma'wa in collaboration with the Princ...
23 December 2015
130 Pythons received by Al Ma'wa
In cooperation with the Customs Department and the RSCN, Al Ma'wa received 130 Python Snakes which were destined for the Gulf through the illegal trade. The snakes were immediately assessed for any im...