Help save two beautiful lion cubs
They have raised 3 636 euros so far, which equates to R65 348,30. This means they still need to raise R234 185,99 to ensure Sara and Najla's safe arrival at Schrikkloof Private Nature Reserve.
The Lions Foundation received an email on May 21 about a lion cub named Sara in need of help. Sara was rescued earlier this year in April by a woman named Leila Musaeva in the Kuwait desert.
“Her teeth were filed down, and she had to be declawed. If they couldn’t sell her, they were going to shoot her,” explained Lloreen le Roux, one of the directors of the Lions Foundation and beloved co-owner of Rest Ur Ass Donkey Sanctuary.
“She was taken to the Kuwait Zoo and nursed back to health by Become a Foster Guardian (BFG) in order for her to be strong enough to travel to her forever home.”
Once the Lions Foundation confirmed with the zoo that Sara would be given a forever home, the zoo asked if they could take a second cub, Najla, who was illegally kept as a pet by a private citizen. She was apprehended and taken to the Kuwait Zoo. Both cubs are only one year old.
The foundation’s headquarters are in Roodepoort and currently houses 16 lions and is preparing camps for the relocation of six tigers early next year.
“Our big cats were all rescued in Europe, by our partners Stichting Leeuw, from unnatural situations such as being someone’s pet, to circus attractions, or zoos. They are rehabilitated there before being sent to us to spend the rest of their lives in their natural habitat,” Lloreen elaborated.
She said they have started the permit process for the two lion cubs right away and are very happy that all of the permits are in place.
“We’ve already sent their crates to Kuwait, and the only thing left is to raise the funds to bring them home. Their travel and customs fees are very expensive,” Lloreen elaborated.
The estimated cost of bringing these magnificent big cats home is 12 771,36 Euro, which is approximately R229 534,29. “11 801,16 Euro for their flights and customs, plus 970,20 Euro for the agent to get them through customs,” she explained.
They have raised 3 636 Euros so far, which equates to R65 348,30. This means they still need to raise R234 185,99 to ensure Sara and Najla’s safe arrival at Schrikkloof Private Nature Reserve.
Schrikkloof Private Nature Reserve in Bela Bela serves as the sanctuary. They are an NSPCA-approved sanctuary. “We don’t breed or pet the lions, and visitors to the sanctuary don’t interact with them,” Lloreen explained.
The foundation’s first lions arrived at the end of 2020. Each camp ranges in size from 1.5 to 2 hectares. Each enclosure has two or four 20m x 20m separation areas with feeding rooms. Six days a week, the lions are fed. They eat venison and, on rare occasions, beef.
Visit the Lions Foundation’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheLionsFoundation/ or Schrikkloof’s page at https://www.facebook.com/Schrikkloof/ to learn more about the lions in their care and how you can help cubs like Sara and Najla.
The proceeds from the lodge at Schrikkloof are utilised to care for the lions. The Northsider will keep our readers updated throughout the rescue process.
