Shannon Elizabeth walked away from Hollywood fame to fight for something far bigger than the big screen: the survival of endangered wildlife in Africa.
Western Cape, South Africa (13 April 2025) – It’s not every day a Hollywood star swaps film sets for the African bush… but Shannon Elizabeth did exactly that.
Best known for her role in American Pie (and Scary Movie, and Love Actually, and Jay and Silent Bob), she stepped away from the glitz and glamour to protect some of the planet’s most vulnerable animals. Now, her spotlight shines on rhinos, conservation and a mission rooted in real impact.
But this isn’t a new phase or a fleeting passion project. It’s been over two decades in the making.
Back in 2001, while still living in Los Angeles, Shannon started Animal Avengers, a non-profit focused on dog and cat rescue.
“I started looking at dog and cat rescues in LA because dogs were what I knew,” she explained on the Life Outside Poker podcast.
“I realised I want to make my own organisation and, over time, I just wanted to help out more animals on a bigger scale.”
And so began her evolution from pet rescue to conservation trailblazer. Over the years, as her awareness of broader conservation challenges deepened, especially the growing poaching crisis in Africa, Shannon began shifting her focus from domestic animals to endangered wildlife. She took the leap, did the research, visited Africa and eventually made the decision that would change everything: she moved to Cape Town in 2016.
A bold move? Absolutely. But one with incredible impact.
By 2018, she officially launched The Shannon Elizabeth Foundation (SEF) in South Africa, carrying forward her mission with renewed purpose. SEF now champions wildlife conservation through a multi-pronged approach that includes Education & Awareness, Youth Empowerment, Law & Legislation and Land & Community. And yes, Animal Avengers still exists and is now forming part of the foundation’s youth empowerment work.
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“We’re building a sanctuary,” Shannon shared at a recent event in Pittsburgh.
“We have a blind black rhino we’ve been taking care of and we’re going to bring in more rhinos as soon as we can do an expansion.”
That blind black rhino is Munu, and his story is nothing short of extraordinary.
In 2019, Munu was discovered wandering helplessly in Addo Elephant National Park. Completely blind and vulnerable, he was in serious danger. With lions circling, it was only a matter of time. But conservationist Brett Barlow stepped in, refusing to let Munu become another heartbreaking statistic. He got Munu to safety… and eventually into the care of Shannon and her team.
Munu isn’t just any rhino. He’s a South-western Black Rhino, one of the rarest subspecies in the world, and he now lives under the careful, loving eye of the SEF team. He’s safe. Protected. And loved.
And soon, his story will be shared with the world.
Shannon is currently working on a documentary titled “Munu – A Rhino Love Story,” which explores not only Munu’s journey but the urgent need for conservation work like hers.
It’s a story of resilience, of humans stepping up and of the deep connections that can form between species, even when the world stops watching.
“It was really fun,” Shannon reflected on her acting career. “I love acting and I love creating… but I’m just really grateful that I had that opportunity and could create some things that people seem to like.”
She hasn’t left creativity behind, she’s simply channelled it into something that might just change the world. Because sometimes, the biggest roles we play aren’t on-screen, they’re the ones that make a difference long after the credits roll.
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