A portrait of Kruger lion—whose eye looks as if the universe itself lies beneath it—has won an impressive photography competition category. Why? Just take a look at this photograph:

Global (27 September 2024) — A mighty lion looks directly into the camera lens. His tongue protrudes, almost as if he is looking at his next meal. His expression is intimidating, even without his majestic mane in full view. These elements alone give the onlooker a deep sense of the sublime; as if it were a snapshot from the last clear visual memory his prey ever saw. But that’s not what made this Kruger lion a winning portrait.

One eye boasts a soft, fierce flavour of amber. The other is a deep purple with hints of galactic blue peering through. In the right light, it looks as if this Kruger lion holds in his left eye, a portal to the rest of the universe. A doorway to the rest of existence. Perhaps, he does.

Australian photographer Lewis Burnett captured the breathtaking shot on a breathtaking early morning drive in the Southern half of the Kruger National Park. Here, he was lucky enough to spend nearly half an hour with the lion few will ever see up close (or ever be brave enough to).

His shot, aptly titled ‘Window to the Soul’ was entered into this year’s Nature TTL photography competition where it went on to win the Wild Portraits category for an obvious reason–it feels impossible to look away.

“Staring into the eye of this mighty male lion is enough to make you shrink back in your seat,” says Lewis.

“There’s no solid consensus as to what happened to his eye,” the photographer adds. “But weirdly enough his brother also has it. I’ve heard its genetics, that it was a spitting cobra, or perhaps it was an infection, who knows…But I do know one thing, he’s one intimidating lion!”

You can see all the entries, here. 

Sources: GTG; Lewis Burnett 

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Rescued lions known as the Kuwait 6 have finally found their forever home in South Africa thanks to all the people who did not give up on a hopeful future for them!

Free State, South Africa (23 May 2024) — Rescued lions known as the Kuwait 6 have finally found their forever home in South Africa and the beginning of a new life that is a far cry from their pasts in Kuwait City.

The lions – males Muheeb, Saham, Shujaa, Saif, and females Dhubiya and Aziza – were all recaptured after being dumped by owners either in the streets of Kuwait City (where it is illegal to keep lions as pets) or in other areas where chances of survival were slim; as was the case for Dhubiya and Saif.

When Dhubiya and Saif were young cubs, they were discovered abandoned in the desert and starved.

However, staff and volunteers at Kuwait Zoo nursed them back to help, and recaptured the other Kuwait 6 members too. But, this was not the end of their story.

Animal Defenders International (ADI) got on board, and offered the lions the hope of a new home at their 455-acre ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa!

This led the lions to the biggest adventure of their lives—and one that called on many unsung heroes to make the relocation operation a success.

Kuwait 6 Adventure to South Africa

For one, renowned wildlife veterinarian Dr Peter Caldwell monitored the lions throughout the relocation process, including during their sedation for loading into travel crates. During the flight ADI’s Jan Creamer and Tim Phillips made sure the lions were looked after, fed and given water.

Initially, the lions were let into their night houses at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in the Free State but have now been released into quarantine enclosures where they are playing with catnip punchbags and giant balls!

After two weeks in quarantine, they will be released into individual large natural enclosures of up to 4 acres.

While theirs is a story of hope and heroes, The Kuwait 6 also symbolise an illicit, global trade which is now being boosted through irresponsible social media posts featuring people petting and ‘playing’ with big cats.\

In this cruel business, babies are taken from their mothers when they are young and cute, leaving them lonely and dependent on their captors for food and attention for life. The animals are often kept in isolation and in inappropriate conditions including being chained or caged in basements.

Used as status symbols, these magnificent, intelligent, emotional animals can live for 20 years but are dumped like fashion accessories once the owner has tired of them. Many owners realise that as lions grow, they become powerful, expensive to feed, and simply express themselves naturally, which can be very dangerous and destructive for humans.

ADI believes that if action is not taken soon and big cat ownership continues to be promoted as trendy, in a few years, the problem of lions and tigers being discarded around the world could reach epidemic promotions.

“The Kuwait 6 lions have their whole lives ahead of them and will have acres of space at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. The ADI supporters who are helping to fund their care and this rescue are giving these lions their lives back, living as close as possible to the life they lost.

“This is great news for these lions but also a warning about a cruel and irresponsible trade. Lions should never be kept as pets, they are wild animals.  ADI is grateful to the authorities in Kuwait for action to try and halt this illegal trade, to Kuwait Zoo for providing a safe haven for the lions, to Qatar Airways Cargo for helping bring them home, and to the ADI supporters funding the care of these animals,” shared President of ADI, Jan Creamer.

“Seeing these lions playing as they start their new lives at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary is magical and we are excited to see them start to explore their large habitats. It is also a reminder of how much work needs to be done to stop the suffering of others like them and to defeat the wildlife traffickers. I hope that people will join ADI as we work for that goal,” Jan adds.

To find out more and help care for the Kuwait 6 lions visit: https://adiwildlifesanctuary.org.za.

Sources: Tim Phillips; Animal Defenders International

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Two lonely lion cubs that both escaped being privately kept in different parts of Europe found a heartwarming companionship in each other. All grown-up now, the lion couple have made a big move to South Africa—their new forever home!

Cape Town, South Africa (30 April 2024)—On 26 April, rescued lion couple and best friends Nikola and Vasylyna got acquainted with their forever home in South Africa at LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary!

A tale of two lonely lions who found companionship in each other, Nikola and Vasylyna’s story began a few years back. Born in 2021, both lions had escaped their lives as privately kept cubs, which led them to wander through the streets of the great unknown… lost, lonely and in need of help.

Young Nikola was discovered wandering the village of Budva in Montenegro malnourished, dehydrated and in dire need of veterinary assistance in February 2022, while Vasylyna paced through Kharkiv in Ukraine in August of the same year, unable to run or climb due to underdeveloped muscles.

With the support of local organisations and authorities, FOUR PAWS took both lions into its expert care at FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in the Netherlands—a sanctuary that specialises in providing care for physically and mentally traumatised big cats. Once the lions recover from their injuries, they have the opportunity to move to other FOUR PAWS sanctuaries (such as LIONSROCK) while those that require lifelong intensive care remain at the Dutch sanctuary.

Luckily for the lion couple, both recovered well and soon began expressing their individual personalities. At this stage, lions can be socialised, which can be a challenge. But Nikola and Vasylyna – lovingly nicknamed ‘Nikolyna’ – are proof that the hard work paid off, as the duo is now inseparable!

When the time came to transfer them from the Netherlands’s FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary, there was little doubt that the two had to head off to South Africa together. There, their guardians were sure the lion couple would get to live their happily ever after in a species-appropriate environment boasting a vast habitat to explore alongside each other.

“We are happy to see that Nikola and Vasylyna have arrived at their forever home at LIONSROCK after their long journey. Stepping into their enclosures, the lions wasted no time in venturing out to investigate their new surroundings. Nikola and Vasylyna have had a turbulent start in life, now they have the chance to thrive in a species-appropriate habitat that allows them to express their natural behaviours. They can enjoy their companionship under the African sun in even vaster surroundings than before,” says Patricia Tiplea, Head of Wild Animal Rescue & Advocacy at FOUR PAWS.

For the past few months, the experts at FELIDA have patiently prepared Nikola and Vasylyna for their journey to ensure their comfort and safety.  Through regular crate training, they familiarised the lions with the routines of the transport, minimising unnecessary stress. Nikola and Vasylyna participated in this training without any issues. With FOUR PAWS experts supervising their wellbeing at all times, both the flight to Johannesburg and the transport to LIONSROCK went smoothly!

Commercial Exploitation of Big Cats in Europe  

Lions, tigers, leopards, and other big cats – all are victims of a highly unregulated, ruthless commercial trade in Europe, says FOUR PAWS. Exploited for entertainment and other commercial purposes like circuses, private keeping and tourist attractions, many suffer a lifetime in captivity and cruel keeping conditions that hinder them in living out their natural behaviour crucial for their wellbeing. FOUR PAWS is currently campaigning to ensure that the EU Tiger Guidance is implemented in all EU Member States and that captive tigers are better protected. This could have a knock-on effect on other species like lions.

“Nikola and Vasylyna are two lucky lions who got a second chance at a better life, unlike thousands of other big cats still suffering in private captivity. Their stories serve as a stark reminder that big cats are not pets. The improper private keeping and commercialisation of big cats causes immense suffering for animals worldwide. Malnutrition, illnesses, and persistent stress shape the lives of these captive sentient beings, eventually leading to premature and pointless deaths. FOUR PAWS remains dedicated to advocating for the proper protection and species-appropriate care of big cats under direct human influence. Accredited facilities and sanctuaries must be the only places entrusted with the care of wild animals to finally end this needless suffering,” says Josef Pfabigan, CEO and President of FOUR PAWS.

 LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary: A South African Sanctuary for Rescued Big Cats

LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary is one of the 13 wild animal sanctuaries and cooperation projects established by FOUR PAWS worldwide. It is currently home to over 100 rescued big cats, including lions, tigers and leopards. They were rescued from private keeping, circuses, zoos or conflict zones all across the globe. The sanctuary encompasses a total area of 1,250 hectares. The land is also inhabited by other typical South African species that live freely like zebras and antelopes, as well as a wide variety of bird species that have found refuge on the property.

FOUR PAWS has recently launched a reporting tool to report any concerning activities regarding the commercial exploitation of big cats online. The reporting tool can be accessed here. And more information on the issue of wild animals in private keeping can be found here.

Sources: Supplied—FOUR PAWS

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Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

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