Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2022
Leadership departures following financial irregularities
Reported financial irregularities led to Damian Aspinall being asked to stand down as chairman and trustee. Robin Birley and Ben Goldsmith also resigned as trustees.
2022
Questions over captive-born elephant rewilding
Experts questioned plans to transport 13 captive-born elephants to Kenya, citing journey stress, unfamiliar conditions, food and water, predators, disease and possible conflict with people. The foundation defended the plan by referring to its long history of rewilding.
2021
Related-party payments and governance inquiry
Reports concerning payments to Victoria Aspinall for interior-design services, accountancy work connected with a trustee, and the rental of a foundation-owned mansion to Damian Aspinall prompted the Charity Commission for England and Wales to open a statutory inquiry into governance and financial management.
2021
Criticism of Kenya elephant relocation plans
Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife criticized the foundation for not notifying it about plans to rehome 13 elephants in Kenya. The dispute formed part of wider concerns about animal welfare, regulatory coordination and the practical risks of long-distance rewilding.
2014
Deaths among reintroduced gorillas
Reports that at least five members of a group of zoo-born silverback gorillas died after release in Gabon led to criticism of the foundation’s reintroduction model. Damian Aspinall attributed the deaths to an attack by one gorilla and defended the wider record of animals that survived.