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Sponsorship for Exotic animal species
Exotic animals in the living room - for many, this sounds like adventure and individuality. But behind this fascination lies a reality that is often overlooked: Wild cats, reptiles and monkeys are not pets. They have complex needs that can never be met in an apartment or garden. Space, climate, social contact, species-appropriate nutrition - all of these can hardly be guaranteed in a private home. The result is stressed animals, dangerous situations and often a sad end in rescue centers.
From an animal welfare perspective, one thing is clear: exotic animals do not belong in private hands. At our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center, we give these animals a second chance - in a species-appropriate, safe way and with respect for their natural environment. With a sponsorship, you help us to set an example against the problematic keeping of exotic species and give the animals concerned a better life.
Sponsorship for Our wildcat
At first glance, wild and hybrid cats such as savannahs and servals appear elegant and fascinating - but keeping them is anything but uncomplicated. These animals have a strong urge to move, special dietary requirements and a pronounced territorial behavior. Many owners underestimate these requirements, which often leads to excessive demands. As a result, more and more of these cats end up in rescue centers because they cannot live in normal households in a species-appropriate manner. At our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center, we have therefore created a separate ward for wild and hybrid cats. Here they find a safe environment that meets their needs. By becoming a sponsor, you can help to give these special animals a better life.
Check out our German-language website to become a sponsore
Our savanna cat Atary introduces himself here:
Atary Savannah
Atary is an F2 male savannah cat - the second generation from the mating of a serval (African wild cat) with a domestic cat. Until the fourth generation, these animals are legally considered wild cats and may not be kept like normal domestic cats. Their requirements are similar to those in zoos, which is why keeping them in private households is problematic. In some federal states it is even prohibited.
From an animal welfare point of view, we clearly reject the breeding of hybrid cats: mating involves considerable risks for the female cat, which can be seriously injured or even killed by the size of the male cat. In addition, caesarean sections are almost always necessary as the puppies are too big for a natural birth.
Atary was born in 2018 and was initially sold to an elderly lady who underestimated his needs. After she died, he was sent to an animal shelter, which was unable to find him a suitable home. When breeders showed interest, we took Atary over and brought him to the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center on 31.07.2025. He currently lives in a temporary facility with indoor and outdoor areas. For 2026, we are planning a large, natural aviary where he can hide and move freely at night. With a sponsorship, you can accompany Atary on this journey.
Support the construction of the enclosure by sponsoring Atary.
Sponsorship for Our tortoise Morla and Spencer
Many people are fascinated by reptiles. However, these exotic creatures often cannot be kept in a species-appropriate manner in private households. The animals are therefore often given away if the owners are unable to cope with the demands. This presents animal shelters and rescue centers with major challenges. To support them, we opened a reptile station at our Weidefeld animal welfare center in 2016. In Weidefeld, visitors can meet numerous reptile species, all of which have been housed here in species-appropriate conditions. And best of all - you can support the animals with a sponsorship.
Check out our German-language website to become a sponsor
Two of these reptile sponsored animals are introduced in more detail here:
Morla Snapping turtle
Morla came to us in 2021 as a found animal at the reptile station of the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center on the Baltic Sea.
Thousands of turtles are abandoned every year. This is a major problem, as animal shelters and rescue centers are not equipped to keep large species that are potentially dangerous to humans, such as the snapping turtle. This is why, where possible, they refer them to expert and specialized rescue centres such as our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Centre.
Morla was also allowed to move to a spacious, snapping turtle-safe pond after a week's quarantine. The female turtle is around 35 centimetres long and weighed around eight and a half kilograms on arrival - so she is not yet fully grown. Snapping turtles can grow up to 45 centimetres long and weigh up to 16 kilograms. Morla's exact age is unknown.
The tortoise is not necessarily a credit to its species, as it has never really snapped since it arrived in Weidefeld. Rather, she is a calm and curious animal, likes to explore the banks of her pond and is happy about every treat her keepers give her. You can tell that she likes them by the fact that Morla has already put on three kilograms since her arrival with us. An impressive weight gain, especially when you consider that the friendly turtle lady spends the winter months sleeping.
Support our Morla with a sponsorship.
Spencer Giant tortoise
Spencer - the impressive radiated tortoise - has been living with us at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center since the beginning of 2025. Radiated tortoises, which belong to the giant tortoise family, are a strictly protected species. Spencer comes from an official removal in southern Germany that took place back in 2020. However, we do not know the background to his keeping and we also do not know how old he is.
After being taken away, the giant tortoise was initially kept by one of our member associations. However, it was almost impossible to rehome him from there from the outset, as Spencer carries the herpes virus, which is highly contagious and dangerous for tortoises. This means that Spencer cannot be rehomed to healthy stock, which is why we took him to Weidefeld, where he now lives in a group with the two panther tortoises Elvis and Lulu. Both have also tested herpes-positive. Of course, we will continue to try to find the animals a nice new home, but unfortunately the chances of this are slim.
Radiated tortoises originally come from Madagascar. As it is very warm there all year round, the animals do not hibernate in human care, as is the case with European tortoises. Spencer therefore needs to be looked after all year round. In the summer, he will move with Elvis and Lulu into a new greenhouse with an attached outdoor enclosure.
Spencer would be delighted if you would support him with a sponsorship.
Sponsorship for Our monkeys Charly, Lee and Tommy
Most of the monkeys at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center come from poor private husbandry, where they have lived in inappropriate conditions. Monkeys are among the most fascinating animal species of all. Their intelligence, social behavior and enormous adaptability make them particularly interesting for many people. However, it is precisely these characteristics that often lead to monkeys being sought after as "exotic pets" - with fatal consequences. Keeping primates in private households is not only extremely demanding, but also highly problematic from an animal welfare perspective. Monkeys need complex social structures, plenty of space and a special diet. If these needs are not met, the animals suffer massively. Many are therefore abandoned after a short time, which poses major challenges for animal shelters and rescue centers. At our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center, we offer rescued monkeys a species-appropriate home where they can feel safe and comfortable. With a sponsorship you help us to give these special animals a future.
Check out our German-language website to become a sponsore
Our three monkey sponsored animals are introduced in more detail here:
Charly Rhesus monkey
Rhesus monkey Charly was born in 2010 and has already been through a lot. Here at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center, he can finally come to rest.
When Charly and his father Tommy moved in with us in July 2020 after a stopover at Tierhilfeverein Kellerranch e. V., both animals were very aggressive and highly maladjusted. No wonder - the rhesus monkeys were confiscated from catastrophic conditions in a private facility.
Charly and Tommy greet strangers with a real monkey show: The two then climb wildly along the bars, screaming and drumming against the metal sheets attached to the bottom of the bars. But since their neutering, they are much calmer and enjoy the toys that our keepers make for them.
Sometimes Charly still exhibits behavioral problems in stressful situations and pulls his own hair out. Our carers look after him with lots of love and experience. This helps: from time to time, Charly and Tommy even patiently groom each other's fur. A clear sign of relaxation and trust!
Support our rhesus monkey Charly with a sponsorship.
Lee Vervet monkey
Our vervet monkey Lee has been through an incredible ordeal. We don't know how old she is. But we assume that she was born in 1996. Lee was kept as an individual in a bar for years - an untenable situation for such an active and social animal! In addition, Lee was fed a completely wrong diet and had to endure cigarette smoke, loud music and often drunken guests day in, day out.
So it was no wonder that Lee showed severe behavioural problems when she arrived at a Dutch animal welfare organization in 2012: she had mutilated her tail so badly that a bone was exposed and she had to be operated on. As the organization was unable to take Lee in permanently, she came to us at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Centre in late autumn 2012.
Lee settled in very quickly. In our primate-friendly monkey house, she lives in one of the four spacious indoor areas together with her conspecific Chico. When it's warm, Lee likes to sit in the adjoining outdoor enclosure and let the sun shine on her fur. At last she can recover from all the unspeakable exertion!
But the most important thing is: Lee is not alone at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center. Because vervet monkeys absolutely need to be close to their conspecifics. Lee and Chico are active during the day and we can regularly see them grooming each other - this shows a great deal of trust between the animals and strengthens their bond.
Lee would be delighted if you would support her with a sponsorship.
Tommy Rhesus monkey
Rhesus monkey Tommy was born in 2005 and has already been through a lot. Here at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center, he can finally come to rest.
When Tommy and his son Charly moved in with us in July 2020 after a stopover at Tierhilfeverein Kellerranch e. V., both animals were very aggressive and highly maladjusted. No wonder - the rhesus monkeys were confiscated from catastrophic conditions in a private facility.
One reason for this behavior was also the terrible pain that Tommy had to endure: seven of his teeth were severely infected and had to be extracted.
Tommy and Charly greet strangers with a real monkey business: The two then climb wildly along the bars, screaming and drumming against the metal sheets attached to the bottom of the bars. But since their neutering, they are much calmer and enjoy the toys that our keepers make for them.
Our carers look after him with a lot of love and experience. This helps: now and again, Tommy and Charly even patiently groom each other's fur. A clear sign of relaxation and trust!
Support our rhesus monkey Tommy with a sponsorship.
Your contact:
Sponsor communication team
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