It was two years ago this summer that the #Kuwait6 arrived at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, our first major operation supporting cracking down on the illegal #TrophyPet business.

Shujaa and Saham had been abandoned, tied to lampposts in Kuwait City. Seeing Shujaa charging through Abbey Habitat at ADIWS is a reminder of just how much the boys have grown, but also that only an idiot thinks it is acceptable to keep an animal like this in a house and try to cuddle him!

We first met Shujaa on 19 February 2024 at Kuwait Zoo which was closed but was caring for the six abandoned or surrendered lions until a home could be found.  The last pic is of Shujaa that day and the young sub adult is barely recognisable from the mighty, full grown male you see today. 

Looking at these pics, you wonder what the latest arrivals BenTzur and Ori will look like in a couple of years time?

Shujaa, Saham, Dhubiya, Saif, Aziza, Muheeb, BenTzur and Ori are lucky to have escaped the life of trophy pets, living in unnatural conditions, deprived of their mother’s love and often their own kind for life, forced into dependency of humans who want to pose with them as status symbols.  Never support, share, like or endorse in any way posts showing people cuddling or posing with lion or tiger cubs.