WATCH: Mannie the African lion’s first steps in his new home
News
This sweet African lion spent many years confined to a small indoor enclosure at a Dutch amusement park – until people like YOU stepped in.
© The Lions Foundation
After a long journey, Mannie the six-year-old African lion was recently flown from the Netherlands to the Lion Foundation sanctuary in South Africa. Thank you for helping give him a life worth living.
Be an animal friendly traveller
Right now, captive wild animals are being exploited for profit and entertainment. Will you be an Animal Friendly Traveller?
Donate to protect lions
Right now, vulnerable lion cubs are being torn from their mothers and exploited for financial gain, human entertainment, or traditional medicine.
What is Mannie the African lion’s story?
Like most lions exploited in wildlife entertainment, Mannie was kept in a small, isolated enclosure in a theme park called ‘Mondo Verde’.
There, the African lion was surrounded by the loud noises of rollercoaster rides. Adding to his misery, Mannie was not allowed to interact with others of his kind.
How did World Animal Protection help Mannie the lion?
Mannie's story came to light when Bite Back, an animal rights group, raised serious animal welfare concerns about the Dutch theme park he was being kept at, and successfully negotiated the African lion's freedom.
World Animal Protection then brought Mannie’s situation to the Dutch Government’s attention and worked with Bite Back to ensure he got a second chance at life.
Mannie was then safely relocated to the Lion Foundation sanctuary in South Africa where the grass stretches for hectares and the air is filled with the sounds of nature, not machinery.
Why should you never see animals in entertainment?
Most people are unaware of the pain animals in entertainment endure in captivity. As a result, they unknowingly fund animal suffering by buying tickets to captive wildlife venues.
But thanks to kind-hearted people like you, the tide is turning against exploiting animals in entertainment.
