Zondor had to be darted and was taken back to his camp where he was found clinging to life the next morning. Nothing could be done to save him however.

The lodge denied that humans were in harms way, but an unknown man entered the Middelburg Observer’s sisters paper The Daller’s offices, shortly after Zondor’s escape, claiming that he had indeed been attacked by the cat.

It wasn’t the lion’s first escape, and two donkeys and a pony was allegedly killed by Zondor on previous occasions.

Because he was bred in captivity, the lion however didn’t know how to consume the animals and video footage taken by an American Volunteer, who accused the world renowned animal sanctuary of animal neglect and abuse this week, clearly shows the lion’s confusion over what to do with one of his kills.

Mere days after Zondor’s escape from his enclosure, a woman was attacked and mauled by Romeo, Mbidi Lodge’s resident cheetah.

A fire extinguisher had to be used by a handler to force Romeo off Ms Tanya Swanepoel, when water spraying and an attempt to force the cat’s nostrils closed, failed.

In May 2014, Ryan Bold received 23 staples to the back of his head where he was mauled by a 65kg tiger cub.

He also received three staples on his left arm and an open wound on his index finger had to be stitched.

Both Ms Swanepoel and Ryan were blamed for the attacks by Mbidi, who is legally safeguarded by the signing of compulsory indemnity forms.

The attacks are, according to Mr Bigelow, merely the tip of the iceberg and he says Mbidi is nothing less than a lion mill for profit.

A cloud of uncertainty now hangs over the lions, tigers and cheetahs of Mbidi, as they are all excluded from the auction of Ramela Ranch, and its other subsidiary Dikwena, on February 20.

Mr Bigelow describes in painstaking detail that Mbidi Lodge “kills more animals than they save”.

“Zondor was darted by a vet on an estimated tranquility dosage, because Mbidi personnel had no idea what the lion weighed,” Mr Bigelow says, adding that Zondor had to be monitored strictly for 24-hours, but instead he found the main animal handler smoking dagga with a guest.

Mr Bigelow says the handler, known to the Observer, accompanied him to Zondor’s cage where they found him collapsed and unresponsive.

A vet was called, but the gravity of Zondor’s condition was not relayed by the handler over the phone, so the vet committed to come and check on him the next morning.

Mr Bigelow says he couldn’t check on Zondor himself because he had to monitor the lion cub Mkhulu, who stopped eating and consequently suffered a distended stomach.

According to Mr Bigelow the handler and another staffer simply laughed Mkhulu’s illness off, saying “he looked like an Ethiopian child”.

The cub died on a Vet’s operating table shortly after Mr Bigelow left Mbidi “because I could no longer stand the cruelty.

Mr Bigelow has since reported Mbidi Lodge’s directors and management to various global volunteer agencies, and says he has a moral obligation to expose the animal abuse, “though there’s so many stories, the paper will run out of room for them”.

Apart from the abuse, Mr Bigelow says Mbidi is breeding lions contrary to their permit, and once the cubs can no longer interact with the public for money, they are sold off for even bigger profit.

Mr Fourie, who owns the properties to be auctioned off, told the Observer that “you get tired eventually” and that it was his prerogative to sell the place “if the price is right”. He denies that Mr Bigelow ever engaged him directly with his allegations but merely greeted him at meetings.

The Dikwela and Mbidi auction comes on the back of the recent closure of Jugomaro Predator Park.

Lies, lies and more lies – that is the position of Mr Willie Fourie, director and CEO of Mbidi Lodge, in regards to the shocking animal abuse allegations levelled against him and the management team of the lion sanctuary.

Mr Fourie responded to the allegations after the www.mobserver.co.za supplied him with a detailed list of complaints.

He denies that Mbidi is nothing less than a lion mill, breading cubs for profit. He says it’s against Mbidi’s policy but, says that with the existing breeding permit, it is within Mbidi’s right to breed for profit.

Mr Fourie flatly denies staff negligence in Zondor’s death, adding that if neglect had played a role, it is squarely on the shoulders of Mr Bryan Bigelow who was monitoring another sick lion, Mkhulu.

Mr Fourie alleges that the conduct of a vet who treated Zondor is under suspicion and the matter is being investigated.

Mr Bigelow in his initial statement, confirmed that the vet was treated very badly by Mbidi’s owners after the lion’s death – “they always find scapegoats, and hide behind indemnity forms. I can substantiate all my allegations with proof”.

The death of over a dozen reptiles during Mr Bigelow’s stay at Mbidi, is also blamed on him, by Mr Fourie.

Mr Fourie denies that all Mbidi’s parrots were killed by Macaws sharing their enclosure.

Mr Fourie says that Mkhulu was cared for by a vet until his death on the operating table.

He says that alcohol and drug abuse was never brought to his attention, adding that Mr Bigelow’s reluctance to bring it to his attention may be that he took part in the substance abuse.

Mr Fourie says that the female volunteer, who is still working at Mbidi despite her working Visa having expired 15 months ago, is not his problem but her own. He also denies that the volunteer in question is being remunerated by the lodge. Mr Fourie says Mbidi has meat in abundance, and that any shortages were never brought to his attention.

The www.mobserver.co.za got hold of the vet whose treatment of Zondor is being called into question by Mr Fourie, and Dr Japhta Mokoele says he’s always been willing to help Mbidi at a moment’s notice.

He says he was unaware of any problems arising from Zondor’s treatment and declined to comment about his own personal views regarding the vitality of the animals.

“Whatever investigation in unprofessional conduct is underway, must run its course I’ve always been a phone call away for Mbidi,” Dr Mokoele said.

Update: Jugomaro pity’s Mbidi cats

Tigerman: ‘No love for animal just money’