A white lion family – Kimba, his mate Sofia, and son Gino – arrived from the Buenos Aires Zoo in the fall of 2018. He and Sofia had been born in South Africa in 2005. Then, they’d been imported to the Buenos Aires Zoo in Argentina in 2008. Years later, their son Gino was born there at the zoo.
Now that the Buenos Aires Zoo was shifting its focus from being a government-funded zoo to a compassionate eco-park, they’d be exhibiting native species only. That meant many of their animals would be relocated, including this lion family.
We worked with them for almost two years on this possible relocation. Zoo staff flew to the United States to look at many possible sanctuaries for their lions. After visiting The Wildcat Sanctuary, they decided it would be the best place for their lions to live out their lives, wild at heart.
Arranging transport for Kimba and six other lions was a monumental undertaking. It’s never easy coordinating international rescues. There are so many authorities, agencies, and entities involved, all speaking a different language.
Life at the Sanctuary
Kimba and the other six lions made the 6,000 mile journey, arriving safely after being transported by airplane to Miami and then driven to Minnesota.
The sight of his mane blowing in the breeze as he ran into his new habitat is a sight we’ll never forget. Once Sofia joined him, the two can be found lying next to each other, soaking up the sights of the trees, tall grass, and natural amenities all around them. What a difference from the city noise they’d always been surrounded with. The peace and tranquility is something they so obviously enjoy.
How You Can Help
The day of rescue is only day one of a lifetime of care expenses. If you’d like to help with Kimba’s support, a wonderful way to do that is by becoming his sponsor parent. Or even a one time donation to help with his support would mean the world for him. You can do that easily using the buttons you’ll see at the top of this page. Thank you!