Give Four Former Circus Lions A Sanctuary Home

Our four rescued lions - The Lions of Lockdown - are doing well and have settled into their lifetime home here at our Julie Ward Centre at Born Free’s Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari Game Reserve.

Sanctuary personnel who live on-site report hearing the four lions roaring in the evening and early morning, just before sunrise. It is a truly magnificent sound to hear, especially when all four lions are roaring together.

Lions do what lions do best - sleep. And our lions of lockdown do a lot of sleeping! For everyone who cares for these lions it is comforting to observe this behaviour and see how peacefully they sleep. In their past lives this may not have always been possible.

Having lived for years in a circus and being forced to perform to the crowds several times a day, Louga, Bellone, Angela and Saida would have been denied the luxury of privacy and any control over what activities they did and when. Now in our care they can behave more naturally, waking when they wish, taking a stroll around their territory at their leisure, seeking privacy whenever they want and for as long as they want and of course, sleeping.

In the coming months, a small team of carers will be removing and thinning the unwanted thorns, trimming the grass, and mushrooming some of the trees. This will not reduce the privacy of our cats but will make the best of their space and prevent large areas becoming unusable thorny, thicket.

We are always grateful to our supporters, and your donations help us to continue our work here on the ground, and the day-to-day care of these four amazing individuals. Without your help and generosity, we would not be able to do what we do; thank you.

With the help of GlobalGiving donors, four rescued lions – who used to perform in the circus big top – are now enjoying a peaceful and enriched life at Born Free’s big cat sanctuary in South Africa.

Spring has arrived in the southern hemisphere and the rescued big cats and Born Free team are enjoying warmer days in Shamwari Private Game Reserve, in South Africa. There are flowers all around the sanctuary and birds are singing every day, everything looks beautiful!

With your help, since their arrival last February, the ‘Lions of Lockdown’ have settled well and are clearly enjoying their new home. This can be seen in their behaviour – they roar loudly to declare their presence to the world, while the trees in their large natural enclosure are covered in their claw marks, where they have marked their territory and sharpened their claws. That is natural behaviour, often seen in lions in the wild – a good indicator that the Lions of Lockdown are content and that life is good!

It is lovely to watch the lioness Saida showing affection for the only male lion Louga. They rub heads and she will cuddle up close to him, sometimes even sitting on him – which he doesn’t seem to mind! Bellone and Angela are also very companionable, though Angela can be quite dominant and sometimes growls – but she is mostly very caring and often displays a lot of affection towards the others. It is wonderful to watch her being gentle with Louga, Bellone and Saida. Of the four, Bellone is the quiet one and can be more reserved, but she is also very friendly with her fellow lions and will happily share her food with them.

Knowing what they have been through – years of noise and bright lights in the circus ring – it is fantastic to now give them the best care possible, amongst the natural fauna and flora in their spacious enclosure. Most importantly, with your support, they don’t have to perform tricks for anyone, ever again.