Every year, dozens of neglected and traumatized lions and tigers are cared for in shelters in the Netherlands. Last week, seven lions in Romania were rescued from poor conditions and transferred to Felida sanctuary in Friesland.
It is the largest number they have ever received at once at the shelter, where they now care for a total of nine lions and a tiger.
“They are doing quite well. The plan is for them to stay with us for several months for intensive care,” said Simone Schuls, manager of the rescue center that specializes in physically and mentally traumatized big cats. “After that, at least five lions will be taken care of in our reserve in South Africa. There the animals live in the semi-wild and they have a hectare of land to themselves.”
The Romanian owner had a permit to keep lions on his property, but now wanted to get rid of the animals. “They had a much too small enclosure, almost no water, no vegetation around them and no heating,” says Juno van Zon, who found the animals during the rescue. With a team of about twenty people, they managed to transport seven lions safely to the Netherlands. The owner refused to give his last two lions.
Simba in Romanian video clip
One of the lions is three-year-old Simba, who is in bad shape. “Simba looks like a small dog. He’s deformed and doesn’t walk well,” says Schuls. “In the sanctuary we help the lions to develop natural behavior and to get a hunting feeling.” But the chances of Simba ever being strong enough to survive in the wild are slim. He will probably remain in the shelter in Friesland for the rest of his life.
The international animal organization Vier Voeters, also known as Four Paws, tracked down Simba through a video clip by a Romanian artist showing the wild animal. The video caused a storm of criticism on social media, partly because Simba looked injured. The animal was confiscated, but later returned to its owner.
The Youth News visited the animal shelter in Friesland to see how the animals are doing:
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