Chris Packham is appealing for help after a UK sanctuary for ex-circus tigers and other rescue animals has been forced to close because of coronavirus.
Charlotte Corney, founder of the Wildheart Trust at the Isle of Wight Zoo, and Chris, her partner and trustee of the foundation, are urgently appealing for donations as the sanctuary is under "enormous financial stress".
They say extreme wet weather in the early months this year also added to the strain, followed by the virus.
Mirror readers generously raised thousands of pounds to help Chris and Charlotte relocate the tigers to their new home in the UK in 2018, so they could enjoy the retirement they deserve after a lifetime of abuse.
Before the five tigers were rescued, they were living in squalid, cramped cages and forced to do tricks for crowds at the circus.
They were liberated by Animal Advocacy for Protection, an international animal welfare organisation, who rehabilitated the big cats at their impressive centre in Spain before they found their forever home in the UK.
As well as the five tigers, the sanctuary is home to around 50 other animals.
Charlotte says: "These extraordinary times are threatening our cherished sanctuary.
"Like many smaller seasonally sensitive wildlife sanctuaries we’re highly dependant on our visitation income to enable us to pay for our overheads and fund our charitable work.
"The last few years have been a rollercoaster ride for our small but talented team building an action-driven charity from the bottom up.
"We all feel that we’ve made great progress so far and have bucket-loads of energy and ambition left to nurture and grow our work."
Chris says: "As Mirror readers know, the Wildheart Trust rescues emotionally and physically broken animals, principally big cats from European circuses, animals that have endured horrific conditions for most of their lives.
"Our mission is to provide them with great end of life care.
"But we are in a time of crisis. We are dependent on our visitors to support this work financially and in the early part of the year it poured and poured with rain and our visitor numbers were down. And now we have the coronavirus crisis.
"We know people are, rightly, staying in doors and not coming, so we’re issuing our appeal.
"We’re going to need your help. I know these are very difficult times but we want to not only make sure these lions and tigers are happy and healthy now but, also ensure we can continue to rescue more in the future and undertake more important conservation work too."
The sanctuary has also set up a food bank, requesting fruit and veg, tinned fruit, cat food, frozen peas and sweetcorn from the local community.
To donate, visit the sanctuary's crowdfunder here.
