As 2025 draws to a close, Freedom for Animals wants to celebrate the progress we’ve made this year – all thanks to you: our passionate supporters, Freedom Champions, grassroots activists and allies across the UK and Ireland.
From major campaign wins to powerful action days, here’s a look back at what we achieved together in 2025:
A Win for Reindeer – Live Reindeer Events Cancelled!
In March, we were delighted to announce that the annual Reindeer Day event in Lancaster would not go ahead in 2025! This victory followed months of campaigning alongside the incredible Lancaster Animal Protection, with support from the force that is North East Animal Rights (NEAR).
The campaign included petitions, outreach with local businesses, direct action, and the promotion of ethical alternatives – including an incredible inflatable reindeer costume lent by NEAR for the demonstration against live animal use. Once again, this win showed the power of community-focused, grassroots activism when challenging the use of animals in exploitative festive displays.
As part of our wider Festive Events 2025 campaign, we also saw encouraging signs of change across the UK this year. Attractions such as Lapland UK confirmed they will no longer feature live reindeer, marking a significant step forward in tackling reindeer cruelty at Christmas and proving that campaigning really does work!
Todmorden Country Fair Cancelled!
Another major success this year was the official cancellation of the Todmorden Country Fair, meaning that no camel racing, mobile zoo displays or falconry exhibitions took place in 2025.
While the cancellation of the whole event also sadly affected ethical independent stallholders’ plans – something we never called for but which was enacted by the organisers of the overall event for reasons unknown to us – our focus remained firmly on the harmful and unnecessary animal performances that were planned. We are grateful that, ultimately, no animals were exploited this year despite the above, and we stand by the belief that it is entirely possible to host entertaining, family-friendly events without using animals.
Close to 900 supporters took action by writing to the organisers via our online action form. This, alongside pressure from the local Calderdale community, ensured the concerns could not be ignored. Thank you to everyone who took part.
No New Zoo at Tebay!
In another crucial victory, planning permission for a new zoo site in Tebay – proposed to be run by the management behind Cumbria Safari Zoo Ltd – was refused!
Thanks to your hard work taking action with us against these plans, we were able to act and help to stop another cruel zoo in its tracks, and prevented the former individuals behind South Lakes Zoo (where over 500 animals shockingly died within a three-year period) from reopening at a new location, and continuing to profit from animal exploitation.
This result followed our behind-the-scenes investigations before South Lakes Zoo’s closure, combined with the incredible efforts of supporters who took action through petitions, demonstrations, protests and outreach events. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible.
Joint Work Against Cruel Reptile Markets sees Cancellations!
Working alongside the inspiring Animal Protection Agency (APA) and World Animal Protection (WAP), we continued to see the cancellation of many planned reptile markets across the UK in 2025.
These events involve innocent, sensitive reptiles being transported and displayed in tiny containers in loud, bright environments, often handled by members of the public before being sold for profit. It seems unthinkable that such terrible cruelty is still permitted in 2025, but with your help we are working to see these markets banned once and for all.
Together with APA and WAP, we will continue lobbying the government, working with local authorities to stop events from taking place, investigating the industry, and raising public awareness. This vital work is only possible thanks to your support and donations – and we are incredibly grateful.
Campaigning & Action Days
Zoo Awareness Weekend 2025
One of the standout moments of 2025 was Zoo Awareness Weekend – our annual Easter-time event challenging the zoo industry and exposing the reality of life for animals in captivity.
This year, activists held peaceful demonstrations outside nine zoos and aquariums across the UK and Ireland, sparking important conversations about the ethics of captivity and encouraging the public to rethink visiting the zoo in future.
Actions took place at Chester Zoo, London Zoo, London Sea Life Centre, Edinburgh Zoo, Knowsley Safari Park, Belfast Zoo, Twycross Zoo, Dublin Zoo and Sea Life Brighton. Campaigners handed out hundreds of leaflets, spoke with visitors, and used creative outreach tools – including quizzes and welfare checklists! – to challenge the “conservation” narrative often used to justify captivity by zoos.
Thank you to everyone who took part, whether on the streets, online, or through offering kind donations. Your support made Zoo Awareness Weekend 2025 a real success and we are so grateful for the dedication you show each year.
Free the Fifteen – Sea Life London Penguin Campaign
Our ongoing Free the Fifteen campaign – calling on Merlin Entertainments to relocate the 15 Gentoo penguins they are keeping captive in an enclosure with no daylight or fresh air at Sea Life London Aquarium – continued to gain momentum throughout 2025.
The campaign saw numerous protests being held outside Sea Life London by grassroots activists, including a major celebrity-backed demonstration on the 19th October held alongside our friends at the Born Free Foundation and the Daily Express, with over 200 supporters in attendance! As a result of Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin, Dale Vince and Feargal Sharkey kindly showing their support for the campaign – public pressure grew, petition signatures surged, and the campaign reached a whole new milestone in public concern and awareness!
This progress has been driven by passionate supporters, dedicated grassroots activists (see below image) regularly protesting outside the aquarium, coalition partners expanding our reach, and organisations such as Protect the Wild offering their support – whose powerful new animation on the issue has helped raise significant awareness online.
We will not stop fighting until the penguins are relocated to a safe space in which they can thrive. Campaign updates will continue to be shared on our website HERE!
Festive Campaign 2025: Ending the Use of Live Animals at Events
In November, we launched our annual festive ‘Reindeer Campaign’ challenging the use of live animals, particularly reindeer, in Christmas and winter, festive-themed events.
A record 35 animal protection organisations and individuals signed our joint open letter, created alongside Animal Aid, Born Free and OneKind. This collective effort helps to push our message further than ever before, and encourages yet more events to explore animal-free alternatives, such as animatronic displays and ethical, creative community activities.
Press Conference in Dublin to Showcase the Elephant Report
In November, we joined our friends National Animal Rights Association (NARA) and Ruth Coppinger TD at a press conference held in Dublin, to officially launch the Elephant Report with the press in Ireland. The report focuses on elephants held captive in zoos, and uses Dublin Zoo as a case study to document the issues associated with their confinement.
We were also joined by one of the report’s authors, elephant expert and academic Rob Atkinson, to discuss the severe welfare issues associated with keeping elephants in captivity and the damaging impact of the zoo industry on their lives. You can read the report HERE.
We will continue to support the campaign against Dublin Zoo alongside NARA and Ruth Coppinger – both on the ground in Dublin and online – using this report as a key tool to highlight the extensive research already carried out into the situation for animals, particularly elephants.
Tether and Torment Campaign Update!
We launched the latest phase of our Tether and Torment campaign in November, releasing new investigation findings into the UK bird of prey industry.
Revisiting three bird of prey centres previously investigated in 2018, our undercover work revealed that serious welfare concerns continue. Birds were found living in unsuitable environments, routinely tethered, denied opportunities for natural flight, and used in handling sessions and displays for public entertainment.
And this is just the beginning of the campaign update, as the main report from this research will be coming out in January 2026. This will be used to further our campaign and reinforce our call for an end to the use of birds of prey in captivity for entertainment, and our commitment to continue campaigning until all birds are free from tethered suffering.
2025 Summed Up!
✔ Lancaster Live Reindeer Day cancelled and Lapland UK stopping live animal use!
✔ Todmorden Country Fair cancelled!
✔ New Cumbria Safari Zoo plans refused!
✔ The Festive campaign continued to push events towards animal-free alternatives!
✔ Free the Fifteen gained strength through protests, coalition building and supporter action!
✔ Tether and Torment II video launched to showcase the upcoming report into bird of prey centres in the UK
✔ Ongoing campaigns connected and garnered support from activists across the UK and Ireland
Thank You
Every one of these victories was made possible by you. Every petition signed, email sent, leaflet shared and action taken has contributed to real change for animals.
We know the road to animal freedom is long, and the fight is far from over – but with your support, progress is happening! As we move into 2026, let’s make it an even stronger year for animal rights…together.
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