As lioness Dhubiya gains in confidence (first pic) and bounces around her habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa, tearing down hay bales and tearing up catnip sacks, it is hard to believe it was just a week ago today that she made those first tentative steps out onto African soil. Rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in Kuwait, the young lioness survived being dumped to die in the desert by a callous owner who’d tired of having a ‘pet’ lion. Now, she has made it home to Africa on the airlift of the #Kuwait6! Relive those first momentous steps as last Tuesday morning, the door to her house opened and Dhubiya looked out, with Saif watching behind her as she cautiously stepped forward. Through the night she had heard the roars of the other lions, and now African soil was beneath her paws. We wonder what she was thinking?

Please consider adopting young Dhubiya or any of the other Kuwait 6 lions to help provide lifetime care for them. UK store | US store

She is the smallest and shyest of the Kuwait 6 rescued lions to arrive at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary this week. She is very slight with almost Siamese cat type features and her body is more like a lithe mountain lion than a young lioness – we expect she will start to fill out and put on muscle at ADIWS. Like the others she was abandoned in the streets of Kuwait when an owner who once thought it was cool to have a pet lion and then tired of her.

ADI had already committed to taking five lions from Kuwait when we learned about Aziza. We said we would not leave her behind and so the whole import and export process started again and it was several weeks before we were able to fly with the lions. One thing is for sure, Aziza was worth the wait! Adopt or help this beautiful lioness and others like her.