The siblings Roman, Vincent, Dolf, Ellie and Geena were born in private keeping in Romania before they were, together with their two older siblings Elza and Simba, rescued by FOUR PAWS

When Simba, the older brother, reached the news after he was exploited in a videoclip, FOUR PAWS worked hard to change the future of the lions found in private keeping in Picior de Munte, Romania. Long negotiations and intensive preparations led to the actual rescue in the fall of 2021. 

On the 1st of October, all seven siblings arrived at FELIDA. After the release it became clear pretty soon that although the five youngest siblings come from the same litter, each animal is very different and therefore needs a different treatment plan. Get to know Roman, Vincent, Dolf, Ellie and Geena:

Roman, Vincent, Dolf, Ellie and Geena, used to live together before we rescued them. However, since they are close to reaching sexual maturity and we want to avoid offspring – because they are related, but also since FOUR PAWS has a strict non-breeding policy to avoid more wild animals in captivity – we separated them since their arrival to take proper measures. Now that Ellie and Geena have recovered from their laparoscopic castrations, it was time to reunite them!

Because Dolf is the most submissive of the group, we gave him a head start by reintroducing him with his sisters first. This went well, so Roman and Vincent were soon allowed to follow. 

Since the siblings are getting mature, we also see the dynamics changing. Roman is developing himself more and more as the big leader of the group. Dolf on the other hand, is last in ranking. This is not necessarily a bad thing: they have to find their way of living together in a peaceful way. We do however keep a strict eye on all of them to ensure they get the tailor-made care they need. 

The 5 young lions Roman, Vincent, Dolf, Ellie and Geena had outgrown FELIDA. Thanks to their youth, health and high energy level , they no longer required special care but as much space and freedom as possible. On the 10th of August the Quintuplets made the big trip to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary. The siblings are now living their best life while having lots of space to run around and play. We could not be more proud and are beyond happy to see that they are home at last.