Today is the day! Thanks to the amazing generosity of our supporters, King the lion cub is now on his way to his new home in South Africa.

It’s a long journey from his temporary home at Natuurhulpcentrum rescue centre, in Belgium, to his new home at our big cat rescue centre in Shamwari, South Africa. So, how are we going to get him there? 

At Born Free, we’ve been meticulously planning King’s move for many months. There’s a lot of factors to consider – paperwork, permits, logistics, flight times – the list goes on. But at the very top of that list is King’s welfare and this has been, and always will be, our main concern.

A couple of weeks ago, King’s travelling crate was introduced to his enclosure at his temporary home in Belgium. This allowed King to get used to the crate – and he has had fun exploring it.

This morning, a team from Born Free and Natuurhulpcentrum carefully moved King into his travelling crate. He is now on his way to London Heathrow Airport. 

Later today, after careful monitoring, King will be loaded onto a flight to Africa. Touching down in Johannesburg tomorrow, he will then board a charter flight to Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, before travelling the short distance by road to our big cat rescue centre at Shamwari.

When King is settled at Shamwari, he will be introduced to his new home – a large, natural enclosure with dense undergrowth, shady trees and grassy areas, surrounded by the beautiful sights and sounds of Africa. 

We will be updating everyone on King’s journey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so please follow us! And I will be blogging daily until Monday (9th), so please keep an eye on our blogs page.

There’s still time left to support our King appeal. Your gift today will help fund King’s nutritious food, vital health checks and expert veterinary care, as well as enclosure upkeep and maintenance.

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