Petrica, Lavinia, Lidia, Tarhon Big, and Marin are the five lions who lived in a former zoo in Baia Mare, northwestern Romania, that get to start a new life in a sanctuary in Africa. After long years behind bars, they will make the first contact with the wild nature and other big cats.

The zoo in Baia Mare was closed in 2013 because it didn’t meet the European standards specified in the EU Directives on zoos. Vier Pfoten organization took care of the lions after the zoo was closed.

Petrica, Lavinia, and Lidia were born in captivity and have lived 15 years behind bars. They were meant to become the new stars of the Globus Circus in Bucharest. However, because of the harsh training, Petrica attacked his trainer. Therefore, the three lions were transferred to the zoo in Baia Mare. In 2003, Petrica and Lavinia had two cubs named Tarhon Big and Marin.

On Wednesday, October 14, the entire lion family will leave to South Africa, to the Lionsrock Big Cats Sanctuary, in a transport organized by the Four Paws animal welfare organization. At the end of a long trip, the animals will get to feel the soil and the grass, and enjoy a good run in a natural habitat.

The animals will be tranquilized and transported to the Airport in Frankfurt on October 14. The trip should take about 15 hours.

“Giovanni, a lion from the Netherlands, will join the group of five lions from Romania and, together, they will leave to Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday,” according to Vier Pfoten representatives, cited by local Mediafax.

According to official figures cited by Vier Pfoten Romania, a total of 175 big cats are still living in the Romanian zoos.  Most of them are lions (82), tigers (57), and jaguars (17), but there are also lynxes, leopards, and mountain lions.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Vier Pfoten Romania on Facebook)