Romeo was once a circus lion forced to perform and kept in a tiny cage in France. But thanks to animal heroes, this week he got to explore his new home in South Africa where the white lion can live in peace:
Bethlehem, South Africa (17 May 2024) — Romeo the former circus lion no longer has to live his days being exploited for shows in France. The five-year-old white lion has successfully been transferred to his new home in South Africa as of this week, thanks to all the heroes with lion’s hearts that made his freedom possible.
Until 2023, Romeo was kept as a circus lion where he was confined to a tiny cage inside of a truck whenever he was not being forced to perform. But in August of that year, things changed for Romeo after Belgian wild animal sanctuary Natuurhulpcentrum stepped in to rescue him.
When he was rescued, Romeo was only a shadow of the lion he could be; underweight and suffering from infections. The Natuurhulpcentrum team made sure that he was looked after by giving him specialised care and his first taste of a new life.
“Romeo is a white lion. His friendliness with humans also indicates that he was hand-raised. Both of these circumstances can lead to long-term health consequences for a lion. In the care of Natuurhulpcentrum he has already improved a lot, and we will continue to ensure that he can recover from his past neglect and mistreatment.
It is nearly impossible to keep wild animals in circuses in a way that is appropriate to their natural behavior, ecology, and complex needs. FOUR PAWS advocates for an end of all animals in circuses, starting with a ban on the exploitation of wild animals for performances,” says Patricia Tiplea, Head of Wild Animal Rescue & Advocacy at FOUR PAWS.
Onto South African Horizons
Earlier this week, the time came for Romeo to embark on his next journey—moving into his forever home at FOUR PAWs’ Big Cat sanctuary, LIONSROCK.
Romeo arrived safely where a whole new world of space and other lions awaited him. Once he’s fully settled in and the experts have had time to monitor his behaviour and get to know his personality, he’ll get the opportunity to socialise with Nala—a female rescue lion whose enclosure will be next to Romeo’s!
White Lions and Tigers are Inbred for Commercial Exploitation
White big cats are not albinos – their white coat is caused by a rare and recessive mutation. While this mutation exists in the wild, it is very rare. Unfortunately, in captivity, this rare appearance has commercial value which means that lions like Romeo attract more visitors and are generally sold for higher prices. This also means that breeders actively pair animals with this recessive mutation to produce white offspring; resulting in inbreeding. Inbred animals, including lions, are more likely to develop health problems and suffer long-term health consequences.
“Romeo, like thousands of other big cats, is a victim of the commercial trade of big cats. The keeping and commercial trade of big cats is not properly regulated and enforced in Europe. Without proper management and control on trade within the EU and globally, the animals continue to be abused and exploited for entertainment and other commercial purposes, such as circuses, private keeping, unscrupulous zoos, for photo opportunities, for private hire, or in movies. This can be prevented by banning the commercial trade of big cats and their body parts. We urge all EU Members States to implement the 2023 EU Tiger Guidance to better protect these animals,” says Vanessa Amoroso, Head of Wild Animals in Trade at FOUR PAWS.
What Can We Do to Help More Lions?
FOUR PAWS has a reporting tool to report any suspicious or concerning activities to do with big cats. You can find it here, and learn more on how FOUR PAWS is working to end the suffering of wild animals for entertainment here.
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