The travel crates to bring the Kuwait lions home to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary were delivered to Johannesburg Airport today (see Facebook live). Five lions. Saif (pictured), Dhubiya, Muheeb, Saham and Shujja, from Kuwait’s illegal pet trade are coming to the Sanctuary and we are trying to include the rescue of a sixth, who just arrived.
At the ADIWS, we re-purposed old crates, cutting them down, repainting and turning them into flat packed crates. On Sunday they were loaded onto a truck and at 5am this morning, headed to the airport. They will begin their journey to Kuwait on Wednesday, arriving at the weekend. The next time we see them in South Africa, they will have young lions inside.
The rescued lions from the pet trade were either confiscated, captured after being abandoned, or surrendered by owners. With nowhere for them, they were placed in Kuwait Zoo which has been closed to the public since the pandemic. Staff and volunteers have been caring for the animals and contacted ADI for help. Qatar Airways Cargo have offered to fly the lions to South Africa free of charge, as part of their WeQare program, which previously helped get Ruben home.
THE KUWAIT LIONS NEED YOUR HELP: Although the flight for the lions has been donated, we still face a lot of costs: transporting the crates by road and air; trucks for the lions in Kuwait and South Africa; flights for the ADI team to arrange the Kuwait end of the rescue, trucks, rebuilding the crates, load the lions and return with them to South Africa; preparation of at least three habitats; care for life – these are all young lions with their entire lives ahead of them.
ADI Wildlife Sanctuary 