No surprise to anyone that I'm a dog lover. And while I've adored big cats from afar I recently had the opportunity to get directly involved. My friend Laura Simms, storyteller, humanitarian and profound activist undertakes many projects to feed her substantial talents. Several years ago I heard of one that deeply moved me.
The project is called Lion's Roar a wildlife zoo located in Buhusi, Romania. This is how Laura describes it:
When I first saw the zoo in 2002, told about it by a Roma woman and Leslie Hawke, director of Ovidiu Rom, I was deeply distressed by the state of the animals. An uncanny silence hung over the Park, and as I walked, cage to cage, animals moved to the bars and stared out listlessly. I saw a little girl watching a large lion nearly the size of his concrete Enclosure. The misery on her face reflected the sadness of the lion. I thought, if someone improved the life of the animals, the children would be happy.
- Laura Simms
Laura and many volunteers worked diligently on behalf of the animals in this tiny zoo that is being shut down since it doesn't meet EU standards. Take a look at the some of the inhabitants; dingos, bears, baboons, dogs, cats and of course, Lions. The mighty felines pictured above are Gypsy and Romany, a couple who were badly malnourished as cubs which resulted in spinal deformities. The couple along with another lion named Bella will be killed if they are not moved to a sanctuary.
If you are interested in donating to Lion's Roar you can do so here. Please send the word along to any people or agencies you know that could assist this noble cause.
No comments:
Post a Comment