From starving cub caged and beaten in a tiny Parisian f lat ... to proud king of the savannah
THEY were shocking images that caused an international outcry.
King the lion cub was pictured shackled in a filthy cage and halfstarved while being kept as an ‘exotic pet’ in a Paris apartment.
But now the cub is safely roaming a South African game reserve – thanks to the efforts of wildlife charity Born Free, whose supporters raised €112,000 to help rescue him.
Video footage of the cub being punched and kicked sparked worldwide revulsion when it went viral on social media last year.
Following a tip-off, French firemen tracked him down to a block of flats in the Paris suburb of Noisy-le-Sec, where a 24-yearold man was keeping him.
Rescuers described King as being ‘in deep distress’ but now the one-year-old roams safe and free at the Big Cat Rescue Centre at Shamwari Private Game Reserve.
His journey from squalor to savannah saw King taken first to the Natuurhulpcentrum wildlife rescue centre in Belgium, then on to Heathrow Airport.
From there, Kenya Airways laid on a free flight to Port Elizabeth in South Africa, from where he was driven the short distance to the veldt of Shamwari in the Eastern Cape, home to Born Free’s two big cat rescue centres.
Emotional scenes followed as King was released from his crate into the African bush. Born Free co-founder and actress Virginia McKenna (who starred in the 1966 film of the same name) said: ‘So many people responded to bring young King to Shamwari.
‘My thanks to everyone whose hearts were touched by his story, as he now takes his first steps on African soil.’
Animal care manager Glen Vena said: ‘King is settling in well and is slowly exploring his new natural enclosure. He is taking everything in day by day and is very happy. If the other Born Free big cats around him are roaring, he will sit up and listen to them.
‘For now, all is well and it’s wonderful to see King enjoying his new African home.’
Dr Chris Draper, Born Free’s head of animal welfare and captivity, added: ‘It is staggering in 2018 that lion cubs like King are still finding their way into the pet trade in Europe. It must stop. This situation needs addressing urgently and we hope that by introducing the world to King – his plight, his rescue, and his rehoming – Born Free can draw attention to this important issue.’
The owner of the flat where King was discovered was arrested for illegally keeping a wild animal and animal abuse.