A four-month-old lion cub rescued from an illegal pet owner in Lebanon has been relocated to the Drakenstein Lion Park, located just outside of Cape Town, according to Humane Society International (HSI) Africa.
Lion cub named Pi, who was rescued from an illegal pet owner in Lebanon, has been rescued and relocated to his new forever home at a true sanctuary in South Africa.
Social media videos that were described as ‘distressing’ surfaced in March 2024, showing the cub, named Pi, being exploited for selfies and petting in the streets of Lebanon.
In some of the videos, Pi was shown being chained up in poor conditions while his mouth was taped shut.
In a ‘globally coordinated effort’, he was rescued by the local group Animals Lebanon.
His flight to South Africa was funded by Humane Society International, and he was received by the Drakenstein Lion Park, which has offered him a ‘lifetime sanctuary’.
Pi is the third captive lion cub to have been confiscated in Lebanon and brought to the sanctuary in South Africa in the past six months.
This was not the only rescue the groups collaborated on, as the HSI had previously partnered with Animals Lebanon in 2020 to rescue animals following a chemical explosion in Beirut.
While the private ownership of lions as pets are classified as illegal in Lebanon, the practice is rampant, with big cats being smuggled in from neighbouring countries to ‘feed the trade’.
‘Pi’s ordeal in the illegal pet trade is an example of what thousands of cubs just like him endure at the hands of the captive breeding industry here in South Africa,’ said Dr Audrey Delsink, wildlife director for Humane Society International Africa.
‘It is heartening to know that, after many years of advocacy, South Africa’s cabinet supports an end to this cruel and exploitative industry so that these magnificent creatures will no longer be born to suffer for profit,’ Delsink added.
Shane Hart, assistant director for Drakenstein Lion Park, has stated that Pi will receive their ‘expert care for the rest of his natural life’, free from exploitation and abuse.
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Featured Image: Pexels
This article was written by for CapetownETC.
