Pythagoras peered nervously in the direction of the neighboring enclosure where he sensed the newly arrived lion cub had been placed. They were to become acquainted with each other by being brought into close proximity together to start off. They would eventually—their carers continue to hope—become life partners at the sanctuary in South Africa.
To the best of their rescuers’ knowledge, the cubs are brother and sister.
Both baby lions endured degrees of trauma but eventually reached the Drakenstein Lion Park after being separated at their place of birth, in Lebanon, and subsequently rescued from captivity at about the age of 4 months. Pythagoras, or Pi, has, perhaps, endured greater trials and tribulations than his sister Freya. Now, at the end of their long journey to reach their intended forever home, begins a new journey of healing and, many hope, thriving.
The facts surrounding where the sibling cubs came from are scarce, limited to what surfaced on social media and what their rescuers learned in the process of removing them out of harm’s way and into their care. Pi was the first to surface, and the video of him alongside his captors that appeared online on March 5 was alarming to Maggie Shaarawi, of Animals Lebanon. It showed Pi being dragged out from a wooden crate by a chain around his neck, snarling as his captor tries to take his scruff.
The second video of him surfaced on March 8, after the cub had mysteriously vanished from his captor’s custody only to reappear elsewhere. It shows Pi in a cardboard box with his mouth taped shut as throngs of people ogle, pet, and video him with their phones, laughing raucously and pulling his ears.
Minutes after seeing this video, Ms. Shaarawi called the minister of agriculture and pleaded with him to go with her to confiscate Pi after she had called a judge to obtain permission to take him into their custody. The authorities and Ms. Shaarawi raced to the scene, in Tripoli, removed the tape, and confiscated the animal before having him checked and placing him in a crate to be brought to safety. In his crate, Pi is seen snarling in a fragile display of ferocity after the trauma. The perpetrator was detained.
One condition had to be met for Pi to be held: Ms. Shaarawi had to commit to his care.
Animals Lebanon has long worked in partnership with Drakenstein Lion Park in South Africa, which she vouches to be an authentic sanctuary in a land of posers, where many pretend to operate sanctuaries but actually run breeding operations or offer petting opportunities for tourists. None of which are allowed at Drakenstein. The sanctuary would be—as was so for 19 lions rescued by Animals Lebanon before him—the happy ending Pi needed.
The big difficulty was gathering enough money to see Pi off. Ms. Shaarawi pleaded for $10,000 online. He would require a special crate to ship him to South Africa and be placed in the care of their partners at the lion sanctuary to live out his days in open-air facilities in the company of other lions—undoubtedly because it is almost impossible to release lions born captive back into the wild.
Within two months of his stay with Ms. Shaarawi, on April 24, Pi was shipped to his new home, as they had found funding. The sight of Pi seeing grass for the first time, hearing the sound of wind bristle on his tingling ears, a sound he had not heard before, feeling the sunlight on his fur and the grass under his feet, was arresting. The trauma had made him fearful of all things, but he had felt Ms. Shaarawi’s warmth and, as she arrived with him, he sought her embrace.
“Pythagoras was rescued from a social media influencer who had purchased him to use as a prop to grow his following,” Shane Hart, assistant director at Drakenstein Lion Park, told The Epoch Times. “This influencer subjected him to appalling abuse while he was held prisoner.”
Pi would grow more comfortable in time. To make him feel at home, familiar stuffed toys were left in his enclosure, which would aid his transition. Life would be better from now on. He was home.
Soon, he would have a companion.
Shortly after Pi was rescued from captivity, his sister Freya was surrendered to Animals Lebanon from a zoo concerned for her wellbeing. Little is known about her former owners except that they wanted her to “live out her life in the most natural environment possible at [Drakenstein] sanctuary,” Mr. Hart said, speaking of Freya’s history. “Our friends at Animals Lebanon took care of her until she could be moved to us in a purpose-built travel crate.”
The former owner’s wish to send Freya to South Africa was soon realized.
“Freya was exhausted from her journey when she arrived but quickly proved to be very self-assured,” Mr. Hart said. “Pi, with whom she will be integrated when they are both ready, was far more nervous when he arrived.”
Now 7 months old, the same age as Pi, Freya has seen her fitness improve since she began living outdoors. She is smaller than Pi but is catching up with him quickly. As it is now winter in South Africa, a weather-proof enclosure had been arranged for Freya with plenty of familiar pillows and toys placed inside to keep her comfortable.
“On Tuesday [July 23], we placed her into a larger enclosure in the middle of the sanctuary next to Pi’s enclosure so that she can get used to having other lions in neighboring enclosures,” Mr. Hart said. “This will also help her and Pi to get to know each other for their eventual introduction.”
“Our goal is to integrate Freya and Pi and have them live together peacefully in the same enclosure, but this will take time and is fully dependent on their individual progress,” he said. “We will provide her with the same excellent care we provide to our other rescues for her entire life.”
