Lions rescued from illegal trade find sanctuary
Two lions rescued from the illegal wildlife trade find a forever home at SanWild Sanctuary after years of rehabilitation in France.
LIMPOPO – After five years of rehabilitation in France, two lions rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in France, Ysis and Yoda, are at their forever home at SanWild Sanctuary in Gravelotte.
The lions’ journey to freedom began in 2020 and were originally kept by a rapper who used them as props in music videos and social media content. According to Didi Schoeman, the chairman of SanWild Sanctuary, they were abandoned in a public park near Aix-en-Provence as authorities closed in on their owner for possessing them illegally.
The French animal welfare organisation, 30 Millions d’Amis, stepped in, entrusting the lions to Tonga Terre d’Accueil, a sanctuary that provided them with expert care while searching for a permanent home.
The brother and sister lions arrived at the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg on Tuesday, March 4, where they were received by Schoeman. The lions arrived at the sanctuary on Wednesday, where they were gently released into a holding enclosure for a brief acclimatisation period to monitor their health, ensure they are eating and drinking properly, and help them adjust before they step into their larger home.
Two days later they were released out of the enclosure into their new territory. Unlike lions born and raised in the wild, Ysis and Yoda are what conservationists call “human-imprinted”.
Removed from their mother at a young age and raised in captivity, they lack the instinctual fear of humans that is crucial for survival in the wild. As a result, true rewilding is not an option.
Instead, SanWild’s commitment is to provide them with the best possible quality of life in a protected, natural setting. “People don’t realise the long-term consequences of keeping wild animals as pets or social media props,” Schoeman emphasised.
“Cubs are cute, but they grow up, and once they hit maturity, they become unpredictable. The reality is, that very few places can take in adult lions, and many end up living in small cages or worse. This is why we urge the public to call accredited wildlife rescue organisations rather than attempting to raise wild animals themselves.”
