August was the month everything changed for lonely lion Ruben when he made his journey from Armenia home to Africa and a new life at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. We have all marveled at the bravery of this battered old warrior, driving himself forward on his wobbly legs and playing with his toys.
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Our beloved Leo, rescued from a circus in Peru, is still going strong. Even at 20 years old, he still likes to walk around his Abbey Habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Here he is coming up to say hello – or maybe for a treat? His wish is our command. He is a king, after all, and as many of you have seen from our Facebook lives, he gets the royal treatment when it’s dinnertime to ensure he eats all his food.
Please support our elderly lion’s care so he can continue to enjoy his golden years. Adopt Leo US $ | Adopt Leo UK £
We did it!
Thanks to you, our fantastic supporters, Ruben is now safe in the land of his ancestors: Africa. As we watched Ruben take his first, magical steps onto South African soil on Friday morning, it made the trials and tribulations of the past 14 months worth it.
We were in Armenia for the countdown, finalizing his travel crate, and right up to take off we were facing obstruction, additional costs, and red tape.
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Ruben has been watching from the crate. He is still sleepy. He was sedated for travel two days ago and today for a veterinary check, so is sleeping it off. He was covered with a shade cloth, and there was a nice breeze, but he has since been insulated with hay bales and will be monitored through the night. Earlier, Rey Ayacucho came over to watch him (third slide below).
He will do this in his own time. Follow us on Facebook for possible live streams tomorrow.
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After Ruben’s long journey home from Armenia to Africa, the hold-up at the airport, and facing a night in quarantine at Dr Peter Caldwell’s Old Chapel Veterinary Clinic, his day ended with a magical moment as he came face-to-face with Easy, a lioness from the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary who is also currently at the Old Chapel clinic.
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The day is finally here. Lonely lion Ruben starts his journey from Armenia to South Africa tomorrow (August 22) and a new life at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Ruben was in a private zoo that closed and he was left behind when the other animals were relocated. He has not heard another lion roar for six years – that will change when Ruben reaches Africa!
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Greetings from a very hot Armenia where we are just four days away from the start of the move of lonely lion Ruben to a new life at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa.
The wonderful offer from Qatar Airways to move a larger than usual aircraft to one of their scheduled passenger routes from Armenia in order to donate space for Ruben has given us limited time between knowing the departure date and leaving, but we could not say no! Until the Qatar Airways’ WeQare charity scheme stepped in, Ruben’s options for leaving Armenia were looking very tough.
We have inspected Ruben’s crate – his first-class cabin – and after a few minor modifications, it is ready. A solid crate to one of our tried and tested designs.
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Easy, our gentle lioness rescued from a circus in Colombia, has been thoroughly examined by Dr Peter Caldwell at Old Chapel Veterinary Clinic, with blood tests, an X-ray and a gastroscopy.
Preliminary findings reveal a low blood count and ulcerative colitis. Easy will remain in hospital while Peter investigates the cause and options for treatment. In the meantime, she is snuggling in her teff-filled room and being closely monitored by the veterinary team.
It’s the news that we have all been waiting for – lonely lion Ruben flies from Armenia to Africa on Tuesday, August 22!
It’s been a big challenge securing a flight from Armenia, as we needed an aircraft with large enough cargo doors for Ruben’s travel crate, and none were available. Thankfully, Qatar Airways’ WeQare charity scheme stepped in, scheduling a wide-bodied aircraft on one of their passenger routes, and have donated space on board for Ruben!
Continue readingCan you believe nobody has adopted circus survivors Kimba, David, Kiara2, Mahla and Scarc yet?
Kimba was rescued from a circus in Guatemala, the others from Peru.
When we rescue animals, we aren’t just emptying the cages, we’re also committing to providing a lifetime of care.
There are so many costs involved: food, enrichment, dietary supplements (especially essential for our seniors), hospital transport, constructing habitats and adapting them to cater to their individual needs.
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