Simba’s short life has been full of suffering. In September 2020, just weeks’ old, he was found dumped in a cardboard box in a garage near Moscow. Terrified and starving, Simba was missing most of his fur, and was so weak he could barely stand. An innocent victim of the cruel wildlife trade.
Thankfully, Simba was taken in by Wild Nature Hospital in Russia who nursed him back to health but, could not give him lifetime care. When they asked if Born Free could offer him a permanent home, how could we say no?
We moved Simba to a halfway house with our friends at Natuurehulpcentrum, in Belgium. But this is just the start of his story. Giving specialist care and creating a spacious enclosure for a rapidly growing cub is a lion-sized commitment!
Will you help care for Simba with a gift today?
With your support, we're giving Simba a forever home at the amazing Animanatura Wildlife Sanctuary in Italy, already home to Elsa the lioness and Sandro the tiger, both cared for by Born Free funding.
A generous donation by a private donor provided the funds to transport Simba overland to Italy, but we still need your help to build his spacious, permanent home and provide lifetime and veterinary care for this growing lion.
Your generous support of our Tigers in Crisis appeal funded the construction of a purpose-built new enclosure for Sandro at Animanatura, so, his temporary area is ready for Simba, but we urgently need to create a spacious permanent home for him at the sanctuary.
Thanks to two very generous sponsors, Olsen Animal Trust, a family trust established to end animal cruelty and exploitation, and friend of Born Free, Julia Grazien-Smith, all donations up to £12,000, until 1st September 2022, will be doubled, turning every pound you give into two pounds at no extra cost to you!
Now, with your help, we can give Simba a home of his own, set in the rolling Tuscan hills, under the warmth of the Italian sun.
"It is amazing to know Simba will wake up every morning with the warmth of the sun on his face in an enclosure that encourages him to roam and display natural behaviours. I find it extraordinary that in 2022, cruelty towards wild animals is still rife; this story illustrates that Born Free’s work continues to be not only relevant but essential."
~ Dr Andrea Donaldson
* Where donations exceed the target, or after the appeal has closed, they will support our vital work to help lions and other wildlife worldwide.
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