From the frontline to ‘freedom’ – Tsar & Jamil arrive at Shamwari

Tsar as he entered his new home at Shamwari Big Cat Sanctuary (c) Lyndon Brandt

Today, after an incredible eight-thousand-mile journey and a monumental rescue mission involving countless passionate people and organisations around the world, the brothers started their new lives in their ancestral homeland after taking their first tentative steps on African soil; released to experience, for the first time, the sights, sounds and smells of South Africa at Born Free’s Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari Private Game Reserve.

Born in a Ukrainian zoo, Tsar and Jamil were taken from their mother as tiny cubs and sold to a farm where they were exploited as a ‘tourist attraction’. Kept in utterly unsuitable conditions, fed a poor-quality diet and without specialist care, the young lions became malnourished and sickly. Thankfully, following pressure from local animal protection organisations, the lions were handed over to a wildlife rescue centre in Kyiv. Here, the full extent of their suffering became apparent. Veterinary examinations revealed both lions had calcium deficiencies and Tsar had bone fractures. However, with proper care and nutrition, Tsar and Jamil began to recover from their ordeal – until further hardship came their way.

In early 2022, the outbreak of war in Ukraine presented a fresh threat to the lions’ future. Despite appalling conditions and the devastating human hardship faced by the country, an incredible team at the Ukrainian rescue centre worked alongside a Polish zoo and Natuurhulpcentrum (NHC) to evacuate the cats, via a brief stay in Poland, to the safety of NHC’s wildlife rescue centre in Belgium.

Since March 2022, Tsar and Jamil have been cared for by experts at Natuurhulpcentrum. Thanks to a caring and dedicated team, this half-way house has served as a haven for the lions while we meticulously crafted plans for their re-homing in South Africa.

That epic re-homing journey began on Friday night, when the brothers were gently loaded into their custom-made travel crates. The lions first travelled by road to Luxembourg airport, before departing for Johannesburg on a specialist flight, kindly provided free of charge by our air transport partner Cargolux. After 10 hours in the air, the lions touched down in South Africa. After being met and checked over by Born Free’s vet, Tsar and Jamil’s overland road trip to South Africa’s Eastern Cape began; every step under the watchful eye of our expert animal care team.

The lions covered over 1,000 kilometres on their journey from Johannesburg, every step under the watchful eye of Born Free’s expert animal care team, who stopped regularly to check on the lions and to ensure they had adequate water. When they reached their destination, Born Free’s Big Cat Sanctuary at Shamwari, the team were delighted to see both lions dash straight out of their crates into the natural bush of their 2.5 acre enclosure.

Half an hour later, the Born Free Animal Care team located the lions reunited, lying together in the night house of their enclosure. This probably felt like the safest place, with shade from the South African sun. Tsar and Jamil will take time to adjust to the sights, sounds and smells of the bush, and the space of their expansive new home. The Born Free team will be monitoring the lions closely, and are hopeful they will start exploring their new ‘forever home’ soon, perhaps after being fed lunch in the early afternoon. As can happen after a long transfer, both lions had small bruises and scrapes on their face, which were not of concern to the onsite vet, and should heal quickly in the African sun.

(c) Lyndon Brandt

Born Free’s Co-Founder and Patron, Dame Virginia McKenna said, “It was with a sense of joy that I learned of the safe arrival of these beautiful lion brothers at wonderful Shamwari in South Africa. After enduring such misery and hardship in their early years, they can now live the rest of their lives as free as possible, just as nature intended. Grass beneath their feet, sun on their backs, and the shade of trees where they can rest whenever they wish. No longer exploited, but respected and cherished. For 40 years our charity, Born Free, has worked tirelessly for individual wild animals like Tsar and Jamil. Their story is the story of Born Free, one of perseverance, hope and change.”

Tsar and Jamil are now part of a proud heritage of 50 big cats given new lives in the sanctuary of Shamwari, by Born Free.

The logistical feat of re-locating two young lions cannot be underestimated. Many hundreds of hours of planning, evaluation and care has been undertaken by Born Free’s experts and specialists, together with our valued partners Natuurhulpcentrum, Shamwari Private Game Reserve, Cargolux, and British Airways Holidays, to ensure the safety, comfort and security of the lions at every stage of their journey.

We would also like to thank the many generous supporters and wonderful corporate partners who’ve ensured the success of this incredible relocation and made this rehoming a reality. In particular, our key partner British Airways Holidays which has generously donated funds to cover three years’ care for Tsar and Jamil, as well as the cost of the custom-built, specially designed crates used for the lions’ relocation. Also, our air transport partner, Cargolux, for their expert services and for transporting the lions free of charge from Luxembourg to Johannesburg. This truly team effort means these beautiful animals have now found solace in South Africa.

Tsar and Jamil’s rehoming is especially poignant for Born Free as it coincides with our 40th anniversary. We have a long and proud history of rescuing wild creatures from abuse, exploitation, and incarceration and the lion brothers are the 58th and 59th lions to be rehomed since our charity was founded in 1984.

Find out more about Born Free’s Rescue & Care work:

RESCUE & CARE