Ruben, the lonely lion rescued from a private zoo in Armenia, has been enjoying the recent expansion of his habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa. Ruben arrived with severe difficulty walking due to spinal problems caused by poor diet and confinement. With veterinary treatment, supplements and physiotherapy thanks to his enthusiastic play with different toys such as catnip bags, Ruben’s mobility has improved significantly. There is still a long way to go, but at a January veterinary assessment, it was decided Ruben was ready for an additional half acre of more challenging space – with longer grass in places and slopes to climb to a platform. Recently, he has been using this more and more, sleeping under the platform and watching Max and Stripes (who have been captivated by seeing their neighbor up close).

There was also incredible excitement last week when Ruben climbed near the top of the slope to his platform and stood roaring towards Rey, Simba and Kesari! Eventually as his rehabilitation goes well, we hope that Ruben will have a full 2.5 acres. These may be small steps for lionkind, but they are giant ones for this incredible survivor.

Ruben has recovered after major dental surgery this week – see previous post.

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