Inside the "1,000 Animals" Rescue Video: Lions, Rhinos, Giraffes, Shelter Dogs, and a Nationwide Rehab Push
MrBeast ミスタービースト
The video sets out to save a thousand animals, counting each one as it goes. The host, Jimmy (MrBeast), and his friends work with veterinarians, conservationists, shelters, and rehabilitation centers, starting with single dramatic interventions in South Africa and Ukraine and ending with a quick run through funded rescues across the United States and the Amazon. The idea behind the whole project is that many of these animals would die without specialized care, and that this care costs money most rescues struggle to raise.
A Root Canal on a Lion
The first animal is a lion with a tooth infection. A veterinarian, introduced as Doctor Alex, explains that the infection could kill it, so the team performs a root canal to remove it. While the lion is sedated, Jimmy helps by holding back its lip as the vet pulls what Jimmy calls "gunk" out of its teeth. Jimmy asks whether this material, left untreated, could end up in the lion's heart valves, and the vet confirms it. Asked what would happen if the lion woke up mid-procedure, the vet says she would bite his finger off. The procedure goes well, the lion is released, and the count starts: one saved, 999 to go.
Relocating Rhinos Trapped by Their Own Fences
The second mission is on a large reservation where the team has to find, tranquilize, and relocate rhinos. The problem, as explained in the video, comes from conservation itself. Normally, stronger rhinos simply drive weaker ones away. But this reservation is surrounded by anti-poaching fences, so the weaker rhinos have nowhere to go, and the rhinos end up killing each other. The plan is to sedate the vulnerable animals and move them to a separate plot of land. There they can hold their own territory, aren't bullied away from food and water, and can grow big and strong.
Chandler searches from a helicopter while the others drive. Once rhinos are spotted, Chandler darts one with a tranquilizer so it can be moved safely. Before relocation, the team adds two anti-poaching measures:
- A tracking collar that monitors the rhino's speed and its proximity to other wildlife. If the rhino suddenly starts running in an open area with no other animals nearby, the team says that likely means poachers are trying to kill it.
- A microchip in the horn. The team drills a tiny hole in the horn, inserts the chip, and seals it with glue. If a poacher does kill the rhino illegally, the horn could be traced through the black market to help catch them.
Jimmy stresses the effort because, in his words, there are not many rhinos left on the planet. The rhino is then pushed, with some struggle, into a transport crate and released in the safe area, where it won't be "bullied and slowly killed." Jimmy names it "Hippo," and over Chandler's objection that it's a rhino, settles on "Hippo the Rhino." His friends save two smaller rhinos on the same safari.
Vaccinating Giraffes From the Ground and the Air
Next, the team vaccinates giraffes. Unlike the rhino tranquilizer darts, these high-powered air rifles fire large darts filled with medication. The giraffes keep running away, and their territory is so large that ground shooting is slow. So the team moves to a helicopter, which the video calls the easiest way to get the animals their medication. Jimmy jokes about having "air superiority" and brings in extra help to reach as many giraffes as possible.
By the time the team leaves, 70 giraffes have been vaccinated, bringing the running total to 74. Jimmy adds that they "even got to see our hard work from earlier pay off," but the video doesn't explain this further.
Flying Lions Out of a War Zone
The team then travels from South Africa to Ukraine. According to the video, years of war have destroyed zoos there, and rescued lions are surviving in makeshift shelters, still threatened by the ongoing fighting. The response is to fly three lions out on a giant cargo plane stripped of all its seats, carrying only those three animals.
Working with wildlife conservationist Anthony Peniston, the team flies the lions more than 7,000 miles to South Africa, to Peniston's sanctuary, LionWatch. There, the video says, the lions will have more than 14 acres of open land. Peniston releases the first lion, and Majd, who earlier mistook a lion for a tiger, nervously helps release the other two. The video frames the result as the lions being free from the dangers of war and able to roam their native African land.
Getting 100 Shelter Dogs Adopted
To balance the exotic rescues, the team sets out to get 100 shelter dogs adopted. The reasoning is that many shelters are overcrowded, and dogs that go too long without a home are killed to make room for new arrivals. The video claims that one dog in a shelter like this is killed every five minutes.
Jimmy greets prospective adopters and helps match them with dogs. He makes some families promise to play with their new dog every day and give it plenty of love. He points out that caring for a dog's health is expensive and that some people can't afford it, so he announces that all medical bills and adoption fees are covered. Families can take dogs home for zero dollars. One adopter says they had been looking for a dog for two to three months.
The video also addresses a specific problem: puppies get adopted at higher rates, so older dogs are less likely to survive. Its example is Blue, a ten-year-old dog still waiting for a home, who is adopted by a family that calls him gentle. By the end of the day, all 100 dogs have been adopted.
Buying an Auction Lot of Miniature Horses
The next rescue involves miniature horses that were being sold at auction to be killed for food. Jimmy says he wasn't willing to stand by, so he bought all of them, then set out to find each one a home.
Several adoption scenes follow. One adopter already has a full-sized horse at home and is taking a mini so their daughter can grow up riding. Loading the horses into trailers turns out to be tricky. One handler explains that you want horses to think getting in the trailer is their own decision. Jimmy jokingly offers the horses "ten grand" to get in, and they happen to load right then. One family arrives wanting one horse and leaves with two, saying minis are "like potato chips." Jimmy notes that two weeks earlier these horses were going to be slaughtered and now they have loving homes, and he calls this "the point of this video." After the last three horses are placed, the team also saves four donkeys, which get to stay together.
Maya's Sanctuary, Funded by Livestream
The team then visits Maya's animal sanctuary, which Jimmy calls fascinating because of how it's funded. It's owned by a nonprofit, and much of its support comes from a 24/7 Twitch livestream. Viewers donate to give the animals treats, and that money also helps fund the large sanctuary, home to many exotic animals Maya has rehabilitated. The tour includes a marmoset named Momo and a cow named Winnie-the-Moo. When Jimmy donates, the livestreamed feeder dispenses treats, which Winnie then eats. Jimmy calls this an innovative way to keep the sanctuary funded and growing.
The main reason for the visit is Stompy the emu, who lives with the sanctuary's horses, cow, and donkey. Jimmy says Stompy seems to think he's a horse, which is dangerous because he could literally be stomped on. Jimmy and the sponsor, Lowe's, partnered with Maya to build Stompy a separate emu enclosure. The video says Lowe's had been helping in the area since floods damaged it and counts the sanctuary as part of the company's commitment to "ten million square feet of impact" that year.
Building the enclosure takes a montage. Jimmy admits he has never built a fence, jokes that Maya cuts the wire so easily it makes him look weak, and gets a lesson on planting: dig an "oblong" hole, which is explained as "like a hot dog," then gently loosen the roots before planting. The finished enclosure has plenty of trees, which Stompy reportedly likes, and is big enough for two emus. Stompy gets a companion, whom one of Jimmy's friends names "Nolan's Mom."
To close the visit, Maya is shown the site of a planned wolf sanctuary and given a $50,000 donation to start it. The video says the sanctuary was badly damaged earlier that year by the Texas floods, which set it back significantly, and credits Lowe's with the $50,000.
Two Sea Lions: Rocky and Gertrude
Next are two sea lions. The first, Rocky, has a bullet in his head, and the team commits to covering the costs of his care. Rocky will need time to recover from surgery, so he isn't released in the video. The second, Gertrude, nearly died after being badly entangled in a net and is now ready to go back to the sea. After a countdown, Gertrude heads straight for the water, and the team remarks that she can hear the ocean.
The Rapid-Fire Round: Hundreds More Animals
With more than 800 animals left to reach the goal, the video switches to a rapid-fire summary of funded rescues:
- Amazon rainforest: Working with Minga Lodge and Sanctuary, the team releases more than 200 animals back into the wild, including a silky anteater, described by a local guide as one of the rarest species in the area, and a tortoise returned to its natural habitat. The video says these animals would have been killed without sanctuaries like Minga to rehabilitate them.
- Wildlife Critters Circle of Life: The team funds care for 47 injured and abandoned animals. One is Draco, a black wolf shot in Louisiana who couldn't stand when he arrived and is now running around. Another is Bodie, a kangaroo who lost his mother. Caretakers explain that he needs things that simulate a mother: bottles with special nipples that resemble a mother's, and pouches that make him feel secure and give him the sense of movement he'd get from a mother.
- Foxes: Twenty foxes that were going to be slaughtered for fur coats are all saved.
- A large bird sanctuary: The team saves 70 native birds, including a screech owl hit by a car that is being treated for eye injuries. Staff aren't sure the owl will regain full vision in one eye, but they say owls can survive in the wild with one working eye.
- White-tailed deer: The team treats 42 injured or orphaned deer, one of which is shown healthy enough to walk and graze freely again.
- A rescue in Georgia: The team saves 85 animals, including a Mississippi kite that has healed enough to fly.
- A turtle rescue in New York: The team saves 48 turtles. One that is finally healthy enough to go home is jokingly released at "the skate park."
- Waddle On Inn: A duck named Marjorie lost her beak to a snapping turtle. The team takes her to their vet, Doctor Chester, who fits a prosthetic beak, which she needs in order to eat. The team also pays for the 46 other birds being cared for there.
The video points out that these specialized treatments and rehabilitation methods are expensive. For that reason, the team also helps four more organizations around the country cover the costs of another 212 animals.
Closing: A Thousand Saved, Work Not Done
In the end, Jimmy thanks viewers for giving the team a platform to make a difference and says they have saved a thousand animals' lives. He acknowledges the work isn't over, invites viewers to help save "the next thousand, or even more," and closes by asking everyone to work together to keep these animals safe and in the wild.
Sadly, this lion, if left untreated, would literally die. And it's the first of a thousand animals we're gonna be saving in this video. Here's how.
We'll be using a sniper to vaccinate giraffes from a helicopter. We ain't leaving till all the giraffes are vaccinated!
Rescuing lions from a zoo that was literally bombed. Be free!
Relocating massive rhinos before they fight each other to death. Could add a lotta years to this rhino's life. And so many more unbelievable rescues.
Starting with performing life-saving surgery on this lion. This is Doctor Alex. What're we about to do?
This lion has a tooth infection that could literally kill it. So we're gonna perform a root canal to save this lion's life.
We're giving it life-saving surgery to remove the infection in its teeth.
Can you just hold that lip like that for us? Yep. Oh, my gosh!
He is literally pulling gunk out of its teeth. And this gunk, if untreated, would somehow end up in the lion's heart valves? That's right.
What would happen if she woke up? She'd bite my finger off. Oh... And my finger!
That looks really good. Procedure's done. Let's release her!
Now the lion is happy and healthy, but we still have 999 animals left to save.
Our next mission is to save some rhinos. We have to search this massive reservation in order to tranquilize and relocate them. While we're driving around looking for rhinos, Chandler's actually in the sky.
Typically, the stronger rhinos would just scare away the weaker ones. But since the reservation is surrounded by anti-poaching fences, the weaker rhinos have nowhere to go. So they end up killing each other. Yeah, exactly.
Which is why we're gonna put 'em to sleep and then transport 'em to a plot of land that can be in their own territory, where they're not getting bullied out of all the food and water, they can actually grow big and strong.
Jimmy, come in! We found the rhinos! We found the rhinos! Let's rescue 'em, baby.
All right, he's got a rhino! Go, go, go! Yeah!
I got the tranquilizer gun, I'm gonna shoot 'em and put 'em to sleep, so we can relocate them safely.
We did it! Chandler hit the rhino! Let's go! Let's go! Hey, good shot, Chandler!
First things first. We're putting on the anti-poaching collar. Here's what it does. This collar tracks the rhino's speed and its proximity to nearby wildlife. If the rhino suddenly starts running in an open area with no other animals around, we'll know likely that poachers are trying to kill it.
We're going all out to make sure these rhinos live long lives, because there's not many left on the planet.
So this is a microchip which we're inserting in a tiny hole in his horn, and then we're sealing it with glue. So now, if a poacher does kill this rhino illegally, we'll be able to trace its horns to the black market and help catch them.
Let's get it to its own space so the other big rhinos here don't kill it.
I know this all seems kinda weird, but this is... could add a lotta years to this rhino's life.
Let's get him in! It's for your own good. Go inside!
We're now in the safe area for the rhino, where he's not gonna get bullied and slowly killed.
All right. I say we name him Hippo. Hippo? He's a rhino! Well, yeah, but his name's Hippo. I'm calling him Hippo the Rhino. All right! All right, Hippo the Rhino, enjoy your life.
We still have hundreds more animals to save. And after my friends saved the other two smaller rhinos on the safari, we set our sights on something a little taller... Giraffes.
Have a vaccine! By shooting them with vaccines. Yeah!
Unlike when we tranquilized the rhinos, these high-powered air rifles actually deliver a massive dart filled with life-saving medication.
Enjoy your vaccines! Have a great day. Why are they running? We're trying to save their lives.
Throughout this video, we're going to be saving over a thousand animals. But I guess no one told the giraffes because they were making it kind of difficult.
Sir, I'm trying to vaccinate you! It's good for you, I promise, giraffes! Come get a vaccine! Bro, it's so far away.
We need to elevate our tactics. Because the giraffe's territory is so large, this is the easiest way to get them the medication that they need.
Yeah! Yeah!
Even though I now had air superiority...
Enjoy your medicine! Take care!
...I brought in extra help to save as many animals as possible.
Woo!
By the time we left, we vaccinated a total of 70 giraffes, bringing us to 74 animals saved so far. We even got to see our hard work from earlier pay off.
But we still had a lot more animals to save. So we're traveling from South Africa all the way up to Ukraine, where years of war have destroyed the zoos, leaving rescued lions to survive in makeshift shelters. And because they're still threatened by the ongoing war, we're going to fly them out of there.
Meow.
Which is why we have this giant cargo plane just to transport these three lions out of Ukraine. They stripped this plane, literally there are no seats. The three lions each get first-class tickets.
And with the help of wildlife conservationist Anthony Peniston, we're flying them over 7,000 miles to South Africa, to his animal sanctuary, LionWatch, where these lions will have over 14 acres of open land to roam free.
There's a legit tiger right there. Actually, Majd, that's a lion. Grr! Oh, okay.
And after Anthony released the first lion, it was up to Majd to help release the other two.
What? I gotta do that too? Yeah.
You ready? I'm ready! Let's do it. Let's go. Grr!
She's gone.
The lions are now free from the dangers of war and able to run across their native African lands. And while saving exotic animals is important, it wouldn't be a saving animals video if we didn't save 100 dogs.
Many dog shelters are overcrowded. And if a dog goes too long without finding a home, they're killed to make room for new dogs. Every five minutes, one dog in an animal shelter like this is killed! So we need to get these 100 dogs adopted right now.
How's it goin'? Good! Hey! Nice to meet you. Are you excited to get a dog?
What kind of dog you guys lookin' for? We're looking for a small, little one. A little small one? Arf, arf! Arf, arf! Look it, he wants to come with you! Do you like it? Aww. Say hi, puppy!
What do we think about adopting her? Yes! Are you going to play with that dog every day? And give it tons of love? Shake on it! All right. One down, ninety-nine dogs to go.
And you may not know this, but taking care of a dog's health actually costs a bunch of money. And some people, unfortunately, can't afford it.
We love him! Hi!
Which is why I wanted to share the good news. And like all the other dogs here, all the medical bills are covered and he's free. We're covering all the adoption fees.
Wow! Really? Wow! Yeah, so you guys can take him home for zero dollars. Oh, my goodness! Thank you! No problem. Thank you!
It was incredible to see so many dogs find their forever homes.
How can you say no to those puppy dog eyes? Woof! Wow. How long have you been looking for a dog? Two to three months now. She's perfect. She really is, though. Do you think you're gonna take her home? Yeah! Yeah! That's what we like to hear!
Brianna's been adopted! You guys gonna take good care of him? Yeah!
More and more dogs were getting saved. But since puppies have a higher rate of adoption, older dogs are less likely to survive. Like Blue, this dog that's ten years old, still waiting to find his perfect human match.
How about Blue? What do you think? Hi, nice to meet you! I think he's great! He just looks so gentle. What a cutie! He's gonna be so happy with you guys. Thank you so much! Thank you so much!
But we weren't done yet. As the day went on, we watched dog after dog get adopted into a loving home.
Are we ready to adopt? Yes, I am. Let's go! Woo!
And before we knew it, we saved 100 dogs, all going to families devoted to giving them the best life possible.
Next up, we're saving exotic miniature horses. Because these tiny horses were being sold in an auction to be killed for food. And I'm sorry, but I'm not just gonna stand by and let these horses get slaughtered. So I bought 'em all. And we're gonna find all of these horses a home.
Oops! Excuse me. The horsies are over here. Oh, I know, the face! Wait, she seems to want this one.
You guys have other horses? I have a full-sized one at home. So, the horse you're adopting's for her? Yeah. Really? So she can grow up riding a horse. Aww! Did he kiss you? Wait, how do you not get that one?
You want your horses to think it's their decision that they're getting in the trailer. Lemme try something. I'll give you guys ten grand if you get in the trailer. Oh! Oh, they did it! It worked!
You guys came here wanting one, and now you're leaving with two? I think minis are like potato chips. You can't have enough? Technically, I'm not supposed to be bringin' another one home, but the answer was not "No." Do you want a third one, then?
Two weeks ago, they were going to be slaughtered, and now they're getting loving homes, and you guys are gonna spoil them, right? Heck yes! Yes! See, this is awesome! That's the point of this video.
And after adopting out our last three horses... What a sweet little horse! Yes! ...we also saved four donkeys who are all getting to stay together.
And now we're off to help one of the biggest birds on the planet.
Now we're at Maya's Animal Sanctuary, which I actually think is pretty fascinating because she helps fund it through a 24/7 Twitch live stream, where you can donate to give animals treats and other cool little things. And the money donated on this live stream gives animals treats and helps fund this massive animal sanctuary, which is filled with tons of exotic animals that Maya has been rehabilitating for her entire life.
All right, so, marmoset enclosure. That's Momo up there. Momo! Momo is so cute. Oh, really? Aww. Not only do you like our videos, but apparently so do monkeys.
This is Winnie-the-Moo. To help raise money for this sanctuary, which is owned by a nonprofit, Winnie-the-Moo here is on a 24/7 live stream. And if you donate money, like I just did, her feeder gives her treats, and then she goes and eats 'em. This is a really cool, innovative way that she's been able to fund this sanctuary and keep expanding it. This is awesome! She loves that feeder.
Now, the real reason why we're here: Stompy the emu. How's it goin'? How you doin', Stompy?
Stompy lives here with our horses and our cow and our donkey. Clearly, as you can tell, Stompy basically believes he's a horse. Which is bad because Stompy could literally get stomped on. Which is why me and Lowe's are partnered with Maya to build an emu sanctuary. It's not there yet. But after this montage, it will be.
I also wanna give a massive shoutout to Lowe's for helping make this project possible. Lowe's has been on the ground helping since the moment floods caused damage to the area, and now the sanctuary will be part of Lowe's commitment to delivering ten million square feet of impact this year.
How do we continue helping Stompy? We gotta get this fence up here. I have never built a fence before. All right, rollin' out the fence! Maya, how are you cutting it so easily? Maya! You're makin' me look weak.
Whenever your community is in need, Lowe's is there to help you, even if it's for things like building a fence for Stompy.
All right, we're gonna plant this plant. Dig a hole. Yes, ma’am. Right there. What you wanna do is make an oblong shape. Question: what's an oblong? Like a hot dog. Perfect! I got it.
Jagged, doesn’t have to be perfect. Oh, my God! There you go! Then, gently take out all the roots. And then, we'll put it in here.
And if you wanna learn more about how Lowe's is helping communities like yours, just click the link in the description or go to this website right here, right now.
Now, we need to see what Stompy thinks of his new home and introduce him to his new girlfriend. You're free! What do you think of your new home, Stompy?
I heard you like trees, so we opted for an enclosure with a lot of trees. Hi! What do you think of it? I'll take that as “He loves it.”
Not only did we build you a home where a horse won’t accidentally kill you, but we also got you a friend. We made this bad boy big enough for two emus.
Can I name it? Yeah... Wait, why'd you say it like that? Yeah. No, yeah, I trust you. We should name this emu... Nolan’s Mom. Yeah! Really? Yeah... All right, let's let her out!
What'd you think of my name? What does that even mean? Well, it means her name's Nolan's Mom. Hi! Hi, Nolan's Mom. All right, she’s free! Yeah! Yay!
And to wrap things up, we're at the wolf sanctuary that Maya wants to build. Take off your blindfold. And to help bring the wolf sanctuary to life, we wanted to give you a $50,000 donation to help bring it together. Woo! Oh, my—
Earlier this year, Maya's animal sanctuary faced extensive damage due to the Texas floods, and it really set them back. But thanks to Lowe’s, Maya now has $50,000 to kick-start this wolf sanctuary. That is crazy! Thank you so much.
Up next, we're saving two sea lions, starting with Rocky, who unfortunately has a bullet in his head. This video is about saving animals, and I want to let you know that we want to cover the expenses of taking care of Rocky. Thank you so much!
It will take some time for him to recover from surgery. However, Gertrude... Oh, hello! Hey! ...our other sea lion, is ready to be released. She previously suffered from being brutally entangled in a net and almost died.
Let's go release Gertrude! Ready?! Ready? All right... Three! Two! One! Go! Go! Go!
Oh, she's wasting no time! Look at this! Dude, she hears the ocean. Look at that. There she goes! Dude, she's running in there! Let's go—oh, man. Let's go! Oh, here we go! Yeah! Woo! Yay! You’re free! Gertrude! Yes! Woo!
With over 800 animals left to save, it's time to rapid fire. Over in the Amazon rainforest, we worked with Minga Lodge and Sanctuary to release over 200 animals back into the wild.
What we have here is a silky anteater. It’s one of the rarest species of animals that we can find here. Oh, my God. It's so cute and small! Go on, little guy! Bye!
These animals... He's doing it! ...would have been killed if we didn't have sanctuaries like Minga to rehabilitate... So now we're bringing this tortoise over here into its natural habitat... ...and set them free.
But we weren't done yet. Because back in the US, we saved hundreds more animals. Like here at Wildlife Critters Circle of Life, where we funded 47 injured and abandoned animals, including this black wolf named Draco.
He was shot in Louisiana, and when Draco came in, he couldn't stand. Now, as you see, he's running around and super happy.
Twenty foxes were going to be slaughtered and turned into fur coats, but instead we stepped in and saved every single one of them. You get toys and treats and you get to walk around.
Here at this gigantic bird sanctuary, we saved 70 native birds like this screech owl that was hit by a car and is now getting help for his injured eyes. We're actually unsure if his full vision's gonna come back in that one eye. Luckily for owls, they can survive in the wild with one functioning eye. Just one eye!
We also treated 42 injured or orphaned white-tailed deer. Come on, deer! This one is healthy enough to walk and graze freely again.
At this rescue in Georgia, we saved 85 animals. This Mississippi kite has healed enough to fly again.
And at this turtle rescue in New York, we saved 48 different turtles. This one's finally healthy enough to return to his natural habitat... the skate park.
Back at Wildlife Critters Circle of Life, this kangaroo named Bodie lost his mother. So he needs a few things that simulate having a mother. It has special nipples that resembles a mom best we can. We make pouches so they feel secure, and they still get the momentum of the mom moving.
And also over at Waddle On Inn, where a duck named Marjorie lost her beak to a snapping turtle. So we took her into our vet, Doctor Chester, had a prosthetic beak put on because without it she could not eat. We also paid for the 46 other birds that are getting help here.
All of these specialized medical treatments and rehabilitation techniques... Look at him! ...cost quite a bit of money. That's why we helped four other organizations across the country pay for the cost of 212 more animals that needed our help.
Looking back on all of these incredible animals, we just want to say thank you, to you, the viewers, for giving us a platform to make a difference. We saved a thousand animals' lives, but the work isn't done yet.
If you'd like to help us save the next thousand, or even more, please visit this website onscreen. Let's work together to keep these animals safe and in the wild.
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