Home after captivity in Rumania
2010-01-14
Lise Beyers
FOR nearly eight years a male lion spent his life in misery, imprisoned underground in a concrete pit in the East European country of Rumania. But after a tireless struggle of three years, Dodo has finally been liberated by Paul Hart of the Drakenstein Lion Park and brought to this sanctuary where he will now spend the rest of his days peacefully learning to be a real lion. Dodo’s story of neglect was so severe that his arrival brought tears to the eyes of staff members, who had thought that they had already heard the most horrendous stories of animal abuse. This lion was illegally purchased as a cub and kept in-doors by its owner. The cuddly cub was at first a novelty for the owner, but when he started to grow, the owner was at his wits’ end about what to do with him. Dodo was then moved to an underground concrete pit at a factory, where he lived for the best part of eight years. All he knew was grey walls, steel bars, and very seldom a ray of sunlight. He had no protection from the terribly cold weather of Rumania. The plight of Dodo was leaked to lion rescue organisations and so his fight for freedom began. Because Rumania has no animal welfare laws, there are legally no grounds for legal confiscation of such an animal in this country. For three years Hart battled with the owner, pleading for the release of Dodo into his care. Eventually various harsh tactics of persuasion had to be used before Dodo was signed over to Hart. And shortly before Christmas, Dodo arrived at his new home on the doorstep of Paarl. “He was quite confused, and actually a bit terrified, when he arrived,” says Hart. “He had never seen grass or bushes or other people and lions. Everything is new to him. Sometimes a bird will fly by and one can see that he is fascinated.” Two weeks after Dodos arrival, it is evident that he is still a bit shy, and spends most of his time hiding in his wooden cubicle in his camp. But staff have noticed that he is settling into the park’s routine, appearing majestically when it is feeding time. “Dodo can look forward to 12 to 15 years of living the rest of his life as close to nature as possible for a captive bred lion,” says Hart.
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