Update regarding Saffo 21-01-2009 Share |
Drakenstein Lion Park was contacted in July 2008 by Loro Parque Zoo in Tenerife with regard to providing a lifetime home to their lone lioness. We agreed to accept Saffo on condition that the zoo would not replace her with other lions, once this was agreed we started the long and complex procedure of applying for all the neccessary permits required and committed space to her. When we commit to a lion we effectively have to turn other lions away due to space constraints. All the paperwork was completed in December 2008, but it was decided to postpone her transfer until January 2009 so as to avoid all the pitfalls of transporting an animal over the busy festive season. Today (21-01-2009) the zoo advised us that due to logistcal difficulties they have decided to send Saffo to a European Zoo instead . Drakenstein Lion Park has relocated lions under the most difficult of circumstances, but we have always found a way. Loro Parque Zoo has opted for the easiest route, to subject Saffo to a life in a zoo on a continent and in a climate where she does not belong. Saffo may quite possibly be used to breed more generations of lions doomed to a life in captivity, instead of a life in Africa in a non-breeding, lifetime care sanctuary. The process to enable us to import Saffo effectively cost us what it would to feed one of our resident lions for five months!
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