It is with huge sadness that I bring you news of the passing of our beloved and inspirational Ruben. I realize some of you may have already seen our announcements here and on social media – dear Ruben had many friends around the world.

As our vet Dr. Peter Caldwell advised, fifteen years of captivity and malnutrition left Ruben’s body compromised by spondylitis and degenerative neuropathy; the bones in his spine were disintegrating, damaging his spinal nerve. It was down to his character and determination that Ruben seized his time in Africa with both paws, enjoying a lifetime of experiences in just seven months (the equivalent of four years for a human).

When Tim and I first saw Ruben in Armenia in January 2023, he was in terrible condition. His coat was matted, he was angry and suspicious, and he could barely move without stumbling and falling over. In August, we returned to Armenia to bring him to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (ADIWS) and saw he had deteriorated. At 15 years old, Ruben was already a senior lion and Peter warned at the time that, with all of his health issues, Ruben was “living on borrowed time”. He prescribed medication to make Ruben comfortable and help him move around, and we hoped to give him his best chance of as happy a life as possible.

Ruben appeared to want to prove us all wrong and launched into his new life at ADIWS with enthusiasm.

On arrival, we wondered if Ruben might just step from his travel crate and collapse. Instead, he stepped out, wobbled, stumbled, steadied himself, and drove himself on to grab his first toy (a catnip punchbag), and played until it exploded all over him. Nobody will ever forget Ruben’s happy face, with his mane covered in catnip.

Ruben’s entire countenance changed; his face was no longer furrowed and stressed but relaxed and happy. Above all else, a steely determination to grab hold of his new life emerged. He pushed himself to walk further and further each day. We came to believe Ruben could achieve anything.

His friendly response to his carers was immediate; coming to take his medications from tongs and responding to the voices he recognized. A lion who we had thought might be difficult to build trust with, was trusting from the start – he seemed to know he was loved and respected.

Even after his recent seizure and the setback to his mobility, he retained an enthusiastic disposition. He was intrigued and engaged with everything around him, looked up eagerly when he heard his carers calling or approaching, and took his food and medication from a hand-held stick. It was only on two days we felt he seemed dispirited. This past Tuesday, when he barely lifted his head when Johannes called, we were worried he was in real trouble.

Ruben loved to play with his toys. His catnip bags, boxes, and of course his teddies. They were also part of his physiotherapy and were good for boosting his endorphins. He not only played with watermelons, like the other cats, but actually ate them! He relished his treats.

For seven months, he lived a wonderful life – a lion in the land of his forefathers and living with his own kind after years of loneliness. He found his roar again.

Ruben had the African sun on his back and grass beneath his feet. I will never forget the night he decided he would not sleep in the house but lay outside, watching the sun set and spending the night under the African stars.

Ruben went from six years of loneliness and silence in Armenia, when his family was removed from the private zoo after the owner died, to seeing lioness Easy on his first night in South Africa. Then, in his new home, watching Simba, Rey, and Kesari next door, as well as tigers Max and Stripes.

He heard the roars of other lions and by October, he was roaring back.

As Ruben’s movement improved, he went into his larger habitat where eventually, he climbed the slope up to the top of the viewing platform and proudly stood looking towards Simba, Rey, Kesari, Chino, and Coco next door – then roared in chorus with his noisy fellow residents.

All this time he was defying the odds; his spine and neuropathways were degenerating. Peter explained the discs in his spine were breaking down and putting pressure on his spinal nerve, causing poor balance and inability to control his back legs. The medications helped alleviate some symptoms but could not roll back a lifetime of damage.

This is what the confinement, deprivation, and malnutrition in captivity does to these magnificent animals. Our beautiful young tigers Luna and Jade were rescued at 18 months old but had already developed a stiff goose-stepping walk due to malformed bones at the base of the skull and top of the spine, damaging the nerves. We rescued Sun, Moon, Max, and Stripes from a circus at just 6 months old, which proved to be early enough to stop the same damage. Ruben lived with this for over a decade.

At ADIWS, Ruben kept going and enjoying his life with sheer will and determination. It is not often we meet a lion who has been through so much but has such a lust for life that he defied all odds and lived as a lion again for seven remarkable months. Ruben was an inspiration to us all.

I am so proud of how everyone pulled together for this magnificent warrior.

Ruben’s final chapter happened in his last two weeks. With a long lens camera, we saw Ruben was having a seizure. Within an hour, we had Peter’s advice and had driven into Ruben’s habitat in darkness to give him medication to prevent further seizures and to make him feel more comfortable. Then he was watched through the night. It was testament to the trust he had in his carers, that we were able to feed and give him medications every day as we tried to get him back on his feet. Cameras were installed to monitor him, and Peter watched videos of him every day, adapting his medication, and giving advice. We adapted graspers and extended them on a pole to clean out his den.

We discussed with Peter whether Ruben should go to the hospital, but Peter stressed the best place to get Ruben on his feet was at the Sanctuary, where he had grass underfoot for good grip, the motivation of familiar people around him, and the incentive to get on his feet. In a hospital unit, he would be less motivated. We all watched as he continued to have his medication, had a good appetite, and was hand-fed from the stick. Although he could not walk, he managed to move out into the sunshine in the mornings, returning to the shade of the den in the afternoons.

We remained optimistic and turned to the task of trying to get Ruben on his feet again and provide physiotherapy. The entire ADIWS team worked over the weekend to adapt his house and habitat for physiotherapy sessions. A gantry was built on the roof with runners to carry a hoist to lift him, and Peter’s team was designing a harness. We created a smaller fenced area for giving meds and he would have his house with a heated floor. The plan was for Peter to sedate him on Tuesday, and we would move him to the new house.

Peter examined Ruben and it was not to be. The inevitable was taking over and Ruben had no chance of getting on his feet. To get a more detailed diagnosis, Peter had arranged for an MRI at the veterinary academy in Pretoria University. We took Ruben to Pretoria in the hope for another miracle. A stream of experts came to look at the MRI images and discussed their thoughts with Peter. It was not good; the damage was severe and relentlessly progressing. The seizure had just been another step, and Ruben would not walk again. Then Ruben chose his time – his heart failed, and he passed away without waking up, which we felt was a mercy.

There is a huge sense of loss at ADI and the outpouring of grief among supporters on social media has been very touching. In our local town, people are stopping ADIWS team members to offer their condolences. Ruben’s dignity and strength has touched the world.

His time with us was not enough, but we would do it all again to see him enjoy even just a week of the life he enjoyed in Africa. Farewell, Ruben, you lit up our lives.

I am sorry to bring such sad news but remember, you brought absolute joy and dignity to this inspirational lion. If you would like to give in memoriam donations, you can do so here.

A selection of canvas prints of Ruben are available from our US and UK online stores.

Thank you for everything you did for Ruben,

Jan Creamer, President