This feature was published in the Real Life section of My Weekly Christmas magazine December 2018. I wrote the story on behalf of Born Free's Chris Draper based on my interview with him describing his emotional experiences of transporting little King to freedom.
Born Free wildlife expert, Dr Chris Draper shares his emotional story
of returning little King to his African homeland.
King the lion cub was rescued from a filthy dog crate in a
Paris apartment, the victim of the illegal pet trade.
Born Free first got wind of his sad plight after he’d been
taken to a refuge in Belgium and we decided to relocate him to his African
homeland.
When I first saw King in Belgium he was traumatised and
terrified of humans. Just a few months old and shaking with fright, he bolted
up a branch and refused to come down.
A few weeks later it was a different story. After care from
expert staff, he trusted that we wouldn’t hurt him. He became less fearful and
much more alert, interested and playful.
The epic journey to our big cat
rescue sanctuary at Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South
Africa was a profoundly emotional experience, a highlight of my 18 years working with many
species of animals.
It was the first time I’ve moved such a vulnerable animal
over this distance and with so many hopes riding on the outcome.
I had the comfort of knowing King was going to an idyllic
habitat but the poor little chap didn't know what was happening! We tried to
make the transport as comfortable as possible. But it’s never going to be a
natural experience for a big cat to travel in a truck and fly in a plane!
The gruelling
transportation stretched over two days and began on the hottest day of the 2018
summer. King was loaded into a cool, sturdy crate and we travelled by lorry
across Europe and crossed the English Channel
by tunnel to London.
At Heathrow Airport, I waited with King in the cargo area
and checked on him on the tarmac as we loaded him into the hold of the plane. I
was as nervous as if he was my own child!
Passengers of that Kenya Airways flight were unaware as they
drank their G&T that a little lion cub was travelling just a few feet below
them!
We flew through the night to Nairobi and on to Johannesburg
where our precious cargo was transferred to a light plane to fly to Port
Elizabeth.
Finally in the last leg of the incredible 6,200 mile journey, we travelled by road to Shamwari.
Freedom for King
Next morning at first light we allowed King into his new
home. It was such a joyful experience.
We can get strange reactions from animals as they’re
released from a travelling crate. Some refuse to leave the crate and some are disorientated.
But King jumped straight out and bounded into his new home. He had never felt
grass before and never explored such a vast open space.
The other lions in the neighbouring camps came over to have
a look at the little newcomer and started calling to him. We expected him to
run in fear but he approached the fence and studied the big male lions. He
wasn't fazed at all. Such a brave little lion!
Everyone was exhausted but relieved and elated! We watched
the happy cub for hours, mesmerised as he played with leaves and twigs!
Our dedicated animal care team loved him straight away and I
knew he was going to be well looked after.
Since then I’ve had glowing reports about his progress. King
is thriving alongside other rescued lions and leopards, now living in our
sanctuary in natural habitat under the African sun.
The big cats live in massive natural enclosures. We don't
want to keep them in captivity but they would not survive in the wild having
not learnt hunting or other survival behaviours from their mothers.
For many of our cats at the Shamwari sanctuary, the damage
done by early physical abuse and neglect has caused lifetime health problems. One
lioness has a wobbly head due to a neurological disorder. Others have stunted growth.
Lions are iconic to Born Free’s history however we help a
wide range of endangered species around the world including tigers, cheetahs, elephants,
primates, bears, whales, dolphins and many more.
Our adoption programme is vital. As a charity we rely on
people’s generosity to care for King and other rescued animals at our
sanctuaries, to campaign for change to the lives of animals in captivity in
zoos, circuses and as ‘exotic pets’ and to support our work to keep wildlife
where it belongs – in the wild.
African lions are facing a crisis with an alarming drop in
their wild population over the last 20 years. King is a little champion, a
symbol of hope for all lions.
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| Healthy and Happy King at 18 months old, enjoying life at the Shamwari Sanctuary, South Africa |
Protecting Animals
Dr Chris Draper, 42, and his wife Lianna have two toddlers and a rescued poodle and live in
West Sussex near UK Born Free headquarters.
Chris is Head of Animal Welfare and Captivity with the Born
Free Foundation, which works across the world to end exploitation of wild
animals in captivity and the wild.
Legendary actors, Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna OBE and
their son Will Travers OBE started the charity as Zoo Check in 1984. The couple
became passionate wildlife conservationists after starring in the classic 1966
movie, Born Free portraying George
and Joy Adamson and their pioneering work with lions in Kenya and the
miraculous release of their hand-raised lioness Elsa into the wild.
For more information visit www.bornfree.org.uk
Adopt King for Christmas
By giving your
family member or friend the gift of adopting King, you will help fund his
lifetime care – food, veterinary care and enclosure upkeep.
For just £3 a
month, or one
payment of £36, they will receive an exclusive King adoption pack with a
soft toy, King’s story, a lion fact sheet, certificate and glossy photo.
Available from www.bornfree.org.uk/adopt
