The lions, BenTzur and Ori, were rescued in Israel.
Two adolescent lions who were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in Israel have been relocated to the Animal Defenders International (ADI) Wildlife Sanctuary in the Free State.
The lions, BenTzur and Ori, had been stranded for months due to the conflict in the Middle East, with most flights grounded. Finally, they hitched a ride with the ADI team on a cargo flight from Tel Aviv, which took them on a 50-hour journey via Cairo and Frankfurt before landing in Johannesburg.
According to ADI, over a year ago the 16-month-old lions were seized as tiny cubs by Israel’s Nature & Parks Authority (NPA) during a crackdown on illegally trafficked animals.
“The youngsters had been torn from their mothers, when they should have been suckling, in order to be passed around as ‘trophy pets’ for photos, likes, and shares – the craze being fuelled by social media,” the organisation said.
