The Warriors Team
Lionel de Lange
Founder & Director
All my life I have loved animals but in 2014 while living Ukraine, our local zoo in Nikolaev was struggling to feed the animals. I remembered the work of Lawrence Anthony in Iraq and I decided to establish LAEO Ukraine and after 5 years of growing from strength to strength I founded Warriors of Wildlife – WOW. I hate animal abuse and to see them suffering in cages or being used for entertainment. No animal asks to be abused, neglected or used for self-gain or profit. I have made a promise to myself and the animals I come across that I will fight for them as long as I still breathe. My day to day roles are varied, from investigating abuse reports to planning rescues and relocations and help with the operations at our new sanctuary in South Africa.
Anya Masyach
Founder & Director
2016, Lionel invited me to Kherson in Ukraine where he was caring for bears, wolves and other animals. I started posting images, and stories on social media about the work we were doing and people started contacting us to help other wild animals. After working with LAEO for a few years we decided to start our own organization, WOW. Our focus is on lions, bears, tigers but most of our rescues have been lions. I want all animals to be free but I understand that it is not always possible. We try to give the animals we come across a better. I am thankful that WOW encourages like minded people to end animal abuse. My role at WOW ranges from investigating animal abuse, daily care, documentation, social media and liaising with the Ukrainian government to improve animal laws.
Keegan Smith
Director & Sanctuary Manager
At a young age I had a large interest in animals and wildlife. My largest interest as a child was snakes and other reptiles. Then, in 2011 I started working with Big Cats in a captive environment as a volunteer on weekends and school holidays. Immediately after finishing high school, I was employed as permanent staff at the same place that sparked my initial passion working with big cats. After a few years of work, I moved on to a new facility to gain further experience, working more closely with the rehabilitation and release of indigenous wildlife. I then returned back to my original place of employment as my love for those specific individual animals was strong. It was at this time that I realized that my dream was to one day open up a sanctuary for rescued big cats and other animals in need where they can live the rest of their lives free from exploitation and suffering.
Apart from being a Director of Warriors of Wildlife and Sanctuary Manager, I am hands-on in the daily care of our rescued lions’ needs within the Sanctuary, ensuring good physical and psychological well-being, as well as the construction and maintenance of new and existing enclosures.
Lauren Vad-Smith
Sanctuary Manager
I’ve been working with big cats and other captive wildlife full time since 2015. I’ve always had a passion to “help,” and my true love lies with animals, especially those in need. After learning about Warriors of Wildlife during their first lion rescue and relocation in 2018, I knew that I had to get involved. Throughout the years I’ve been so privileged to work for and help many species, and I cannot wait to carry on this work with other like minded people who will push forward to make a difference for those without a voice.
I am proud to have jumped on board with Warriors of Wildlife, and now manage the Sanctuary in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. My day to day tends to vary based on the animal’s needs at our Sanctuary, our small scale rehabilitation animals’ needs, as well as the ongoing rescues from within the Organization. In addition, I tend to social media pages and other outreach, reserve management where our sanctuary is based, co-manage volunteers, and ensure all of our documents are in order on the South African side!
In addition to Laurens duties she is very much hands on in taking care of all our rescued animals from bats to birds to our lions.
Dr Kathleen Davis
Veterinarian
Dr Davis is our primary veterinarian for the wildlife in our care at the Sanctuary.