It is with great sadness that we announce that one of our old warriors, 18-year old Simba, passed away peacefully at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary today.

Rescued by ADI from a circus in Ayacucho, Peru over eleven years ago, Simba has been treated for severe arthritis for some years and has been on palliative care for the past year. Dr Caldwell constantly adjusted his pain relief and we provided him with a raised feeding table to make him more comfortable when eating. Dr Caldwell warned in February last year that Simba was nearing the stage when there would be nothing more he could do for him, but Simba continued to explore his habitat with brother ReyA, enjoying the daily roaring songs, clearly enjoying life.

However, he deteriorated over the past days; he stopped coming in for dinner and the ADIWS team struggled to feed him and get him to take his medications.  Although frail, he managed to climb up onto the platform with ReyA and sit in the sunshine, surveying his kingdom for a final time.

This morning, Dr Caldwell sedated him for an examination and determined that there was nothing more we could do for him, he would suffer as his kidneys failed. We decided to let this grand old man pass away with dignity. He passed away comfortably, surrounded by love, his carers holding his paws, his brother ReyA laying nearby, in the place he loved and spent more than half of his life. ReyA roared as Simba slipped away.

Simba and ReyA spent their entire lives together, first in a small circus cage in Peru and then in Guibord-Sprague Habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa. We will never forget their emotional reunion after being separated for the first time in their lives, when ReyA returned from hospital – Simba joyfully skipping around his brother on his crooked, arthritic legs. There were similar scenes last year, after a hospital visit for Simba.

Today, Simba remained in the boys’ night house for ReyA to sit with him and know he had passed. Our Resident Welfare Manager, Johannes, will be ReyA’s Grief Companion, spending time just being with him, talking to him, monitoring, and giving him treats to see him through the loss.  We have lost a giant and ReyA has lost his brother and best friend.

We will be posting a tribute about Simba’s life tomorrow.