Lions rescued from Iraq and Syria find new home in South Africa

(27 Feb 2018) LEAD IN
Two lions rescued from zoos in war-torn Iraq and Syria have arrived at a big cat sanctuary in South Africa.
Before their journey they spent time recuperating from physical and psychological trauma in an animal sanctuary in Jordan.

STORY-LINE
Blinking and looking slightly bewildered, Simba the lion steps into his new home at Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa for first time.
He was rescued from Mosul Zoo in Iraq by international animal welfare group Four Paws last year and has been recuperating at a sanctuary in Jordan ever since.
"Logistics of rescuing in a war zone are obviously very difficult, because you don't have the usual situation with normal authorities and everything running smoothly, so it took quite some effort to get the animals out of Iraq and Syria. Obviously for the animals it is also very stressful, but finally they managed to get them out," says Hildegard Pirker, Head of Animal Welfare at Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary
Most of the 40 other animals at the Mosul zoo died of starvation or were killed in bombings while some escaped from their enclosures, according to Four Paws. The groups' members reached the location a year ago and evacuated the only two animals they found, a bear and the lion who is believed to be around 4 years old.
"It's a sanctuary where animals can at least live out the rest of their lives in peace. They have been through to much in so many different and difficult circumstances, they have been rescued by Four Paws from around the world, from zoos, from circuses, from terrible conditions and now today the most recent rescue from terrible war torn conditions," says Fiona Miles, Director, Four Paws South Africa
Stepping out next is Simba's partner in this adventure, 2 year old Saeed, a lion who the same charity rescued from Magic World amusement park in Aleppo in July, along with 12 other animals.
Both lions reached Jordan after staying for two weeks in Turkey, whose government assisted with the evacuation.
"Logistics of rescuing in a war zone are obviously very difficult, because you don't have the usual situation with normal authorities and everything running smoothly, so it took some effort to get the animals out of Iraq and Syria," says Hildegard Pirker, Head of Animal Welfare at Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary.
The male lions were transported in metal crates on a Qatar Airways flight after leaving al-Ma'wa shelter in Jordan on Sunday (25th February 2018). They were loaded onto vehicles for a drive of several hours to their new home at the Lionsrock facility near the town of Bethlehem. The lions emerged into separate grassy enclosures, and other lions behind nearby fences let out deep-throated growls and moans.
Born in captivity, the lions have never been on the continent. They were emaciated and dehydrated after the international animal welfare group Four Paws rescued them. The cities of Mosul and Aleppo have experienced some of the worst fighting that has hit both countries in recent years, killing large numbers of people and leaving neighbourhoods in ruins.
Both lions were traumatised when they arrived at the Al-Ma'wa Animal Sanctuary in Jordan.
"They were completely dehydrated", explains Diana Bernas, al-Ma'wa shelter head animal keeper.
"Neither one of them came with open wounds which is really nice because we did receive other animals with open wounds from Syria. But it was just completely dehydrated and very, very skinny, where you could see all of their bones."
The lions can expect similar love and care at Lionsrock to that which they have been receiving in Jordan.

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