This week we celebrate two years since Tomas and Kimba were moved into their new habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa.

Born in a circus in Guatemala, lion brothers Kimba and Tomas were separated when Tomas was sent to a zoo, while Kimba remained in the circus. Their lives changed when Guatemala banned animal circuses. ADI arrived to remove all the animals from the circuses, taking Kimba along with others and then, in a surprising twist, the zoo gave ADI’s Temporary Rescue Unit just 25 minutes notice – they were on their way to us with Tomas. We put the boys in adjoining cages to see how they would get along.

A year later, we flew Tomas and Kimba, along with 15 other lions and tigers, from Guatemala to South Africa, and on to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. During Christmas week, 2022, we carefully reintroduced the brothers, with them sharing the same space. It was a wonderful moment when they bumped heads, rubbed and ran together. Now inseparable, the boys enjoy their new life – far from the tiny cage of their past.