London, 22 June 2022 – From Montenegro to Croatia, onwards through Slovenia, Austria and Germany until the final stop in the Netherlands. 

Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS has successfully transferred a male lion cub rescued from illegal private keeping to its FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary. 

The now nine-month-old lion was found and captured by the Montenegrin authorities in February 2022. He had escaped from his former home and was roaming the streets near Budva on the Adriatic coast for ten days, exhausted and starving. FOUR PAWS supported with the search and rescue of the lion cub and his temporary care before the transfer to his new forever home.

Recently multiple cases of lion cubs used as pets, offered for sale or as entertainment were reported in Southeast Europe. The animals are victims of the illegal wildlife trade, which causes the suffering of millions of wild animals worldwide every year. 

Spike in illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Europe

Vanessa continues: “Over the past months, we have received multiple messages regarding lion and tiger cubs offered for sale or kept in illegal private keeping in Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. 

We suspect that the cubs are being traded and transported between these countries illegally. We urge the governments to put proper legislation and enforcement in place to protect captive wild animals from the exploitation resulting from the commercial and illegal trade.” 

In Montenegro the keeping of wild animals in circuses, zoos and in private captivity is legal, provided that the facility has been licensed from EPA and fulfils certain minimum standards. FOUR PAWS calls for a ban on the keeping of wild animals like lions, tigers, and bears in circuses and private keeping, and to set up a clear licensing system for zoos and sanctuaries only. FOUR PAWS and EPA have agreed to work together to accomplish this in Montenegro.

Before the rescue

FOUR PAWS worked together with the Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro (EPA) and local NGO “Center for the Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro” (CZIP) to provide care and a temporary local home for the young lion. While arranging the documents needed for the transfer to FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary, FOUR PAWS experts visited multiple times to provide advice, check on Nikola’s health and to perform a small but urgent surgery.

Finally, on 20 June, a FOUR PAWS team and a wildlife veterinarian from the Leibnitz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) picked Nikola up for the journey to his new home. Over 2,000 kilometers and six country borders later, he arrived safe and sound at FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary.

“We are grateful for the swift actions of the Montenegrin authorities and great collaboration with them and CZIP for finding a suitable solution for little Nikola. 

Although he received dedicated care on-site, there are simply no species-appropriate places in Montenegro for a young lion. 

Therefore, it is especially important that Nikola receives tailored care at our FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary. 

Now he can recover from the turbulent first months of his life and get the care he needs to grow up to be a healthy lion,” says Barbara van Genne, responsible for Wild Animal Rescues at FOUR PAWS. 

Dutch sanctuary for traumatised big cats

FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in the Netherlands is one of multiple FOUR PAWS sanctuaries worldwide for rescued wild animals. 

It functions as a special care facility for physically and mentally traumatised big cats. The big cats that recover from the hardships of their past can be transferred to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa. 

Animals that need lifelong intensive and special care, stay at FELIDA. New arrival Nikola joins eight other rescued lions and one tiger currently living at the sanctuary.