[imagesource:fourpaws]

Global animal welfare organisation Four Paws has successfully transferred a five-year-old white lion named Romeo to its Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa.

Romeo previously belonged to a circus owner who exploited him for performances. He was kept in a tiny cage inside of a truck whenever he was not forced to perform.

In August 2023, Romeo was rescued by the Belgian wild animal sanctuary Natuurhulpcentrum, which found him in bad shape at the time of his rescue. Romeo has since improved significantly, thanks to the care and dedication of the Natuurhulpcentrum team, and is no longer underweight and suffering from infections.

Now, Romeo will be able to live a lion-worthy life far away from circus performances and receive all the specialised care he needs at his forever home, Lionsrock, which has perfectly spacious and species-appropriate surroundings. The sanctuary has also planned to socialise him with a rescued lioness to provide both animals with a companion.

Image: Four Paw

It took ages of training to get Romeo comfortable with a crate so that he could manage the long journey to freedom. But the transfer via plane from Brussels airport to Johannesburg went well, and Romeo arrived safely at the sanctuary.

“Romeo is a white lion. His friendliness with humans also indicates that he was hand-raised. Both of these circumstances can lead to long-term health consequences for a lion. In the care of Natuurhulpcentrum he has already improved a lot, and we will continue to ensure that he can recover from his past neglect and mistreatment.

“It is nearly impossible to keep wild animals in circuses in a way that is appropriate to their natural behavior, ecology, and complex needs. Four Paws advocates for an end of all animals in circuses, starting with a ban on the exploitation of wild animals for performances,” says Patricia Tiplea, the head of wild animal rescue & advocacy at Four Paws.

The organisation also clarified that white big cats are not albinos as their white coats are caused by a rare recessive mutation.

“In captivity, this rare appearance has commercial value. White big cats attract more visitors and are generally sold for higher prices. This means that breeders actively pair animals with this recessive mutation to produce white offspring. This breeding activity results in inbreeding. Inbred animals, including lions, are more likely to develop health problems and suffer long-term health consequences.

“Romeo, like thousands of other big cats, is a victim of the commercial trade of big cats. The keeping and commercial trade of big cats is not properly regulated and enforced in Europe.

Image: Four Pour

The organisation further noted that without proper management and control on trade within the EU and globally, the animals continue to be abused and exploited for entertainment and other commercial purposes, such as circuses, private keeping, unscrupulous zoos, photo opportunities, private hire, or movies. This can be prevented by banning the commercial trade of big cats and their body parts.

We urge all EU Members States to implement the 2023 EU Tiger Guidance to better protect these animals,” says Vanessa Amoroso, the head of wild animals in trade at Four Paws.

Lionsrock has been doing amazing work. Nine-year-old lioness Nala was confiscated from a man involved in training and selling wild animals to circuses in France in 2017. She was temporarily taken in by a Spanish sanctuary and has been living at Lionsrock since 2018. Sadly, the lion she was socialised with before, a young male named Saeed rescued from a war-torn amusement park in Syria, died in 2020. The team hopes to socialise Nara with Romeo, once he has adjusted to his new home.

Also in lion rescue news, Qatar Airways Cargo has once again assisted Animal Defenders International – this time by transporting six young lions from the illegal wildlife trade to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in Johannesburg.

Known as the ‘Kuwait 6’, the males Muheeb, Saham, Shujaa, Saif, and females Dhubiya and Aziza were either seized or captured after being abandoned and cared for at Kuwait Zoo. Animal Defenders International (ADI) was contacted by Kuwait government officials to help the lions, so ADI offered them a home at their 455-acre sanctuary in South Africa.

Jan Creamer, President, Animals Defenders International said: “The Kuwait 6 lions have their whole lives ahead of them and will have acres of space at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.  We are thankful to Qatar Airways Cargo and their WeQare program in once again supporting us by covering the cost of the air transport back to Africa. We are also very thankful to the ADI supporters who are helping to fund their care.”

Qatar Airways Cargo has committed to animal welfare across the globe, assisting with a new state-of-the-art Animal Centre and the relaunching of its Live product, setting new benchmarks in the transport of live animals. As a leading transporter, with over 550,000 animals flown in 2023, the airline continues to advocate animal welfare globally, ensuring operations respect and contribute positively to animal well-being.

[source:iol]