Rescued Lionesses Relocated to Sanctuary in South Africa

In 2015, two rescued lionesses, Maggie and Sonja, were relocated to the Born Free Foundation’s Big Cat Rescue and Education Centre at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa, following a 6,000 mile journey across two continents in January. Born in 2006, Maggie and Sonja spent the first eight years of their lives at a circus in Germany. Along with regular performances, they spent the rest of their time confined to a circus trailer in appalling conditions. When they were confiscated by the German authorities in 2013, the Natuurhulpcentrum, a wild animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Belgium, stepped in and offered them temporary accommodation. They have been there for the last year undergoing rehabilitation and treatment for wounds sustained while living in the circus. Once Maggie and Sonja finally arrived at Shamwari Game Reserve, they were released straight into their large natural enclosure, where they were introduced to the sights and sounds of nature for the first time.