Lion Kings and Queens roar once again with life in Sudan sanctuary
-
Loading... - Effia Essel
- 26 Sep 2022
- 69 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Zoos are great fun to visit and seeing wild animals can be really informative for children who otherwise do not get to see such animals in person. However, zoos are also notorious for instances of animal cruelty. Such was the case for a zoo in the north African country of Sudan where several lions had gone from kings to beggars.
Kandaka the lioness was once sick and emaciated in a rundown zoo in Sudan's capital, but thanks to wildlife enthusiasts she now thrives in a reserve watching her cubs grow.
She was among five lions suffering from starvation and disease with visibly protruding ribs and flaccid skin, held in grim cages with rusty bars in Khartoum's al-Qurashi zoo.
Conditions worsened as Sudan's economic crisis deepened in the wake of monthslong protests in 2019 that led to the toppling of former dictator Omar al-Bashir.
Of the five lions in the ramshackle zoo, two died.
The animals' plight shot to public attention two years ago after an online campaign prompted veterinarians, conservationists and animal enthusiasts the world over to rush to their aid.
Along with the two other surviving lions, Kandaka was moved to the al-Bageir reserve.
"Their health has since improved greatly," said Othman Salih, who founded the reserve in January 2021.
The site, an hour's drive south of Khartoum, spreads over some 10 acres (4 hectares), or about the size of six football pitches.
As a testament to her recovery, the 5-year-old lioness was called Kandaka – the name of Sudan's ancient Nubian queens.
It is a term that has come to be associated with the women who played a vital role in the protests that unseated Bashir.
She is now thriving in al-Bageir, one of 17 lions from across Sudan. Read More...
