War lion from Syria finally found a companion
FOUR PAWS plans to socialize rescued lions with others in South Africa
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 10, 2018. The lonely days of solitude are over for a lion named Saeed, rescued from a Syrian zoo by FOUR PAWS International, the global animal welfare organization. On October 11th, a lioness named Nala moved into the enclosure next to him. Nala comes from an illegal circus breeder in France and was rescued by AAP, Animal Advocacy and Protection. After completing rehabilitation in Spain, the lioness has finally arrived at the FOUR PAWS Big Cat Sanctuary LIONSROCK in South Africa. There she will be paired up with her neighbour Saeed.
Young lions like Saeed and Nala are very social animals who feel most comfortable in the company of other big cats. Due to their similar age, there is a good chance that the socialization process of the two animals will run smoothly.
Two fellow sufferers: Saeed and Nala
In July of 2017, FOUR PAWS rescued Saeed together with twelve other animals from a war-torn zoo near Aleppo. FOUR PAWS first brought the two-year-old lion to Jordan and then finally to its big cat sanctuary LIONSROCK in South Africa in February 2018. A similar fate befell lioness Nala. Animal welfare organisation AAP Animal Advocacy and Protection rescued her in 2017 from the clutches of an illegal breeder for circus animals in France and brought her to its big cat rescue centre 'Primadomus' in Spain.
Fresh start in the 3,000-acre big cat sanctuary LIONSROCK
FOUR PAWS experts at LIONSROCK will closely monitor the two animals' advances. The team at the South African big cat sanctuary has already socialised five pairs of lions and helped another 15 lions join different prides. In doing so, FOUR PAWS also follows a strict, no-breeding policy.
Bullet Point Version:
Lion Saeed, rescued from Syria by FOUR PAWS in July 2017, gets a companion in LIONSROCK
Lioness Nala, rescued from an illegal breeder in France by Stichting AAP in July 2017, moved to the enclosure next to Saeed
Nala previously lived in AAP’s sanctuary Primadomus in Spain
Nala was transferred from Spain to South Africa on 10th/11th October 2018 and released on to her enclosure on 11th October
The plan is to socialise both animals and put them in one enclosure
FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organization for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need, and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organization advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy, and understanding. FOUR PAWS’ sustainable campaigns and projects focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats, and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.fourpawsusa.org