The Born Free Foundation

What The Born Free Foundation does

The Born Free Foundation is a UK-registered international wildlife charity (Charity Number 1070906) founded in 1984 by Virginia McKenna and Will Travers, following the 1983 death of Pole Pole, an elephant at London Zoo. The charity operates from its headquarters in Horsham, West Sussex, with the stated mission to oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them in the wild. Born Free delivers services across four core areas: direct animal rescue and lifetime sanctuary care, anti-captivity campaigning and policy advocacy, wildlife trade enforcement support, and community conservation education.

The organization operates a global network of 15+ partner sanctuaries spanning the UK, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Cameroon, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, India, USA, Greece, and Portugal, with the 1,000-acre Pangea Elephant Sanctuary in Portugal representing its most recent flagship facility opened in 2026. Core technology products include the Raise the Red Flag eyewitness reporting platform (18,433+ reports), the Dangerous Wild Animals Interactive Map, and the Animal Adoption co-sponsorship program covering elephants, lions, tigers, orangutans, and other species. The UK Education Programme reaches schools through the free Hear The Roar!! magazine and workshops.

Born Free's business model is a diversified non-profit revenue structure with seven primary streams: individual donations (minimum £3/month or £10 one-time), animal adoptions (£5/month or £60/year), the Wildlife Lottery (£1/week), legacy gifts (funding 1 in 3 projects), corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, and fundraising events including the annual Footsteps to Freedom Ball. The charity acquires supporters through digital channels, multi-channel social media, events, and community engagement, with customer segments spanning individual supporters, corporate partners, educational institutions, and government/regulatory bodies.

Name

The Born Free Foundation

Legal name

The Born Free Foundation

Website

https://bornfree.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Born Free Foundation is a UK-registered international wildlife charity founded in 1984 that rescues captive wild animals, operates partner sanctuaries across 12+ countries, and campaigns against animal exploitation in zoos, circuses, and private ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Cruelty Prevention, Investigation & Humane Law Enforcement (BPAGAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ), Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA), Sanctuaries & Long-Term Care (Farm, Equine, Exotic) (BPAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation
• Animal rescue
• Animal welfare advocacy
• Sanctuary operations
• Conservation charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Horsham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters acquired through website, events, and campaigns. Minimum suggested donation is £3 for monthly giving or £10 for one-time gifts.
2. Animal Adoptions: Co-sponsorship programme where supporters can adopt specific animals (lions, elephants, tigers, orangutans, etc.) for £5/month or £60/year, receiving certificates, updates, and magazines.
3. Wildlife Lottery: Weekly lottery programme costing £1 per entry per week. Players can win cash prizes from £5 to £10,000 by matching numbers.
4. Legacy Gifts: Gifts left in supporters' Wills. According to the source, one in three of Born Free's projects are funded by legacies.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors and partners support Born Free through philanthropy programmes, cause marketing, and event sponsorship.
6. Trusts & Foundations: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations to support specific conservation and welfare projects.
7. Fundraising Events: Revenue from events including gala balls, challenge events, art exhibitions, and community fundraisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The Born Free Foundation is an international wildlife charity that rescues animals from exploitation, operates sanctuaries across multiple continents, and campaigns to end captive animal suffering. It sells an Animal Adoption co-sponsorship programme (£5/month), a weekly Wildlife Lottery (£1/entry), donations, and philanthropy memberships to fund its rescue, conservation, and advocacy work. It also delivers educational programmes and digital campaign platforms to drive supporter action and policy reform.

Product overview

The Born Free Foundation operates as a wildlife charity rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings include an Animal Adoption co-sponsorship program (elephants, lions, tigers, orangutans, rhinos, pangolins, gorillas, and other species), publications (Wild Life Magazine, Hear The Roar!! for schools, My Adopt Magazine for sponsors), fundraising products (Wildlife Lottery, donations), and campaign platforms (Raise the Red Flag for eyewitness reporting, Elephant-Free UK, Roar-Free UK, Stop Selfish Selfies). Additional services include the Pangea Elephant Sanctuary in Portugal, UK Education Programme with schools, and a Dangerous Wild Animals interactive map tool. The organization functions primarily as a conservation and advocacy nonprofit rather than a technology product provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Adoption Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 18,433 Red Flag reports documenting captive animal welfare concerns collected since campaign launch
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Clarendon Fine ArtminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 July 2026Clarendon Fine Art hosted a special evening celebrating wildlife art on 4th July 2026, featuring Dave White's tiger artwork auction which raised £5,000 for Born Free. Percentage of artwork sales donated to the charity, demonstrating corporate partnership supporting wildlife conservation.
• FarewillminorOthersPartnership with online Will-writing service Farewill to offer a FREE Will service to Born Free supporters. Available to supporters in England and Wales. This enables legacy giving by making Will-writing accessible and removing barriers to including Born Free in supporters' Wills.
• Ngamba Island Chimpanzee SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner100-acre rainforest sanctuary for chimpanzees in need. Born Free supports this sanctuary providing lifetime care for rescued chimpanzees. Key partnership in Born Free's primate rescue network.
• Limbe Wildlife CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighly respected sanctuary near Douala, Cameroon for chimpanzees, gorillas and other primates. Born Free partner sanctuary providing expert care and rehabilitation.
• Ape Action Africa / Mefou Primate SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMefou Primate Sanctuary in Cameroon cares for more than 250 primates including endangered chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas. Key partner in Africa's primate rescue work.
• Ensessa KottehcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner190-acre sanctuary in Ethiopia housing wild animals orphaned or confiscated from illegal trade or ownership. Born Free partner providing lifetime sanctuary care.
• Born Free's Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari Private Game ReserveflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo big cat sanctuaries in South Africa offering lifetime homes for lions and leopards rescued from zoos, circuses, private ownership and other captive facilities. Flagship Born Free sanctuary providing expert big cat care.
• Bannerghatta Tiger SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished by Born Free and managed by Wildlife SOS in India. Provides lifetime home to rescued tiger Gopal. Joint initiative demonstrating international partnership for tiger rescue.
• Wildlife SOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndian wildlife organization that Born Free co-founded Bannerghatta Tiger Sanctuary with. Manages the sanctuary providing lifetime care for rescued tigers.
• Lilongwe Wildlife CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalawi's only wildlife sanctuary, set within 180 hectares of woodland. Provides expert care to around 200 resident animals and works to return as many as possible to the wild.
• ArcturoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental Centre and Bear Sanctuary in Greece home to rescued orphan brown bear cubs, injured bears, and bears saved from the dancing bear trade.
• Panthera Africa Big Cat SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner sanctuary in South Africa providing safe, natural enclosures for wild cats rescued from zoos, circuses and other captive facilities.
• Born Free USA Primate SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner175-acre primate sanctuary in Texas operated by Born Free USA. One of the largest primate sanctuaries in the US providing safe, permanent home to monkeys.
• Zambia Primate ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished by and with ongoing support from Born Free. One of Africa's most successful primate release programmes helping monkeys return to the wild.
• Animanatura Wild SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner sanctuary providing safe, natural enclosures for big cats rescued from zoos, circuses and other captive facilities.
• The Amboseli Trust for ElephantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term conservation partner in Kenya monitoring elephant populations. Born Free supports their work including documenting elephant baby booms in the Amboseli Ecosystem.
• Pangea Elephant SanctuaryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope's first and only dedicated elephant sanctuary, located in Portugal. Born Free is a founding member of this 1,000-acre sanctuary for elephants rescued from circuses and zoos. Kariba and Julie will be the first residents relocated from Belgium and Portugal respectively.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wildlife SOS: Wildlife SOS is an Indian wildlife charity that co-founded the Bannerghatta Tiger Sanctuary with Born Free. It operates bear, elephant, and big cat rescue centres in India using a fundraising and advocacy model directly comparable to Born Free's.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): IFAW is a global animal welfare and conservation NGO working on wildlife rescue, anti-trade campaigns, and policy advocacy. It shares Born Free's wildlife trade focus, international sanctuary footprint, and individual-donor fundraising model.
• World Animal Protection: World Animal Protection is a global animal welfare NGO that campaigns against wildlife cruelty, captive animal exploitation, and the wildlife trade. It overlaps almost directly with Born Free on policy advocacy, sanctuary-based rescue, and international fundraising, serving similar donor motivations.
• Four Paws International: Four Paws is an international animal welfare organization operating sanctuaries (including for bears and big cats) and campaigning against captive exploitation. It directly parallels Born Free's bear sanctuary work (Arcturos) and big cat rescue mission.
• The Donkey Sanctuary: The Donkey Sanctuary is a UK-based animal welfare charity operating international rescue and lifetime care facilities. Its sanctuary model, adoption programme, and legacy-driven funding model closely mirror Born Free's operational approach.

Broad incumbents

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF-UK): WWF is one of the world's largest wildlife conservation organizations with a UK national entity. It overlaps with Born Free on species protection, habitat conservation, and policy advocacy, but operates at much broader global scale and focuses on habitat rather than captive animal welfare.
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA): The RSPCA is the UK's largest animal welfare charity, operating shelters, an enforcement inspectorate, and major public fundraising infrastructure. While broader in scope (covering domestic animals and farmed animals), it shares Born Free's animal welfare campaigning and donor-base positioning in the UK.

Regional players

• The Wildlife Trusts: The Wildlife Trusts is a UK federation of 46 wildlife trusts focused on habitat conservation and rewilding. While oriented toward habitat rather than captive welfare, it competes with Born Free for the same UK wildlife-minded individual donor base.
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): WWT is a UK wetland conservation charity operating wetland visitor centres and species recovery programmes. Its sanctuary/reserve model and strong UK brand recognition place it in an adjacent peer position to Born Free's sanctuary operations.

Others

• Born Free USA: Born Free USA is an affiliated entity operating the 175-acre Texas primate sanctuary and US-side fundraising. It is a closely related sister organization sharing branding, co-founder Will Travers, and overlapping primate rescue mission, but legally separate from Born Free Foundation UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BFfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/bornfreefoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/bornfreefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-born-free-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/bornfreefoundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@bornfreefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Born Free Foundation