10
could buy a health-enhancing vitamin boost
Every lion deserves a life free from exploitation. Will you give Massaï and Alakay theirs?
Both born in captivity – Massaï the circus, and Alakay a zoo – these two beautiful lions have never known a wild life.
After years of exploitation, now, finally, there is hope. A new peaceful, spacious home awaits in South Africa – but we need your help to get them there.
Massaï and Alakay’s stories
11-year old lioness Massaï is astonishingly beautiful and remarkably calm – considering all she’s been through.
Born in captivity in Europe, Massaï has spent almost her entire life in the circus industry. Cruelly trained, forced to perform unnatural tricks in front of noisy crowds, music blaring, lights flashing.
Imagine your only home is a cramped barren trailer, and you’re constantly on the road. For years, this was Massaï’s miserable existence, being exploited in the big top at a circus in France.
You can help give Massaï a new lease of life!
Alakay is a mighty eight-year-old male lion, who also needs a home.
Born in a zoo in Switzerland, he was reportedly the fourth generation of lions bred there.
Like Massaï, Alakay has spent his life so very far from his ancestral homeland, and has never known peace, space or natural surroundings.
At our Shamwari Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa, we can give Massaï and Alakay all of these things – but we desperately need your help to get them there.
Please give what you can to support our work, by donating below.
How we’ll bring them home…
Transporting two lions over 8,000 miles (13,000km) across Europe and down through Africa is a complex operation!
First, we need to secure permits and finalise paperwork, then prepare special travel crates to take the lions from their halfway house in Belgium, to a new life in South Africa’s sunshine.
On the day, the lions will be gently loaded into their crates, carefully placed in a lorry, and driven to Luxembourg airport. Our precious cargo will then be flown to Johannesburg airport in South Africa, where they can be transported to Shamwari.
Rest assured, Massaï and Alakay’s wellbeing is our priority, and they will be carefully monitored during their journey.
How your gift could help
25
could pay for one day’s care for one lion
100
could pay for a routine health check for one lion
300
could help upgrade an old enclosure for Massaï or Alakay
Maggie Balaskas, Head of Rescue & Care, Born Free“Every animal matters. That is at the heart of our Rescue and Care work. But it is only possible thanks to the dedication and expertise of our sanctuary teams, and of course YOU – our incredible supporters. You could help make a life-changing difference to the lives of Massaï and Alakay. We can’t do it without you!”
Thank You Olsen Animal Trust
Our warm thanks to our long-term friends for offering to support Alakay’s care once at Shamwari. But we urgently need to raise funds to help cover transport and logistics costs to get both lions to Shamwari, and provide lifetime care for Massaï.
Photo credits: Natuurhulpcentrum / Lorie Lowen, Stefano Bigiani, Action Protection Animale