Nijeberkoop/Vienna, 7 November 2024 – Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS has rescued an eight-year-old lion named Diego from inappropriate keeping in a Slovakian big cat facility. On 6 November, the male lion arrived safely at FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in the northern Netherlands, which is run by FOUR PAWS and specialises in the care of traumatised big cats. Diego shows clear signs of a traumatic past and will now get the chance to recover. His story is exemplary of the many big cats suffering in private keeping in the EU and beyond, where their complex needs cannot be fulfilled. FOUR PAWS urges governments to ban the ruthless trade and keeping of big cats, as their keeping, breeding and trade is still not regulated in many European countries and worldwide.

“Diego is exhibiting great fear of humans, particularly of men. When we first visited him in Slovakia, he wouldn’t let anyone get near his enclosure and was charging at the fence. This is a clear defense mechanism and could even be a response to possible violence and abuse he might have endured,” explains Patricia Tiplea, Head of Wild Animal Rescue & Advocacy at FOUR PAWS.

Lion Diego was born in 2016 in Czechia, where his first owner wanted to sell him to be hunted and killed for sport. An animal activist privately acquired Diego to save him from the cruel fate of ending up as a trophy on a wall. Due to a lack of other options, she took him to a private tiger facility near Bratislava in 2018, where he was kept alone in a small enclosure without any means to live out natural behaviours. The facility is not appropriate for keeping big cats and has no professionally trained staff.

As lions live in prides in the wild and benefit from living with a conspecific in captivity, the specialised staff at FELIDA will try to socialise lion Diego with a resident lioness.

Tips to end the suffering of big cats in captivity

Globally, the big cat trade is out of control due to a lack of regulations and enforcement. Unlike in Slovakia, where the breeding, keeping and trading of big cats is already prohibited, these are still legal in many countries. The facility where Diego was kept is only allowed to operate on the grounds of a grandfather clause.

To help stop the big cat trade, FOUR PAWS asks individuals to:

• Boycott facilities that offer selfies, petting, walking opportunities or other interactions with tiger or lion cubs, as this fuels the big cat trade. Find out more: Wild Animals in Zoos
• Report to FOUR PAWS if you see or hear of any exploitation of big cats on our reporting tool.

FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in the Netherlands is one of 13 wild animal sanctuaries and cooperation projects FOUR PAWS has established worldwide for rescued wild animals. It functions as a special care facility for physically and mentally traumatised big cats. The big cats that recover from the hardships of their past can be transferred to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa. Animals that need lifelong intensive and special care stay at FELIDA. Four rescued lions are currently living at the sanctuary.