Simba reached the news at the end of 2020 when used in a music video by a Romanian artist. It was obvious from the pictures he was injured; Romanian viewers were shocked leading to a public outburst. He was rescued in October 2021 and transported to the FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in Netherlands.
Upon arrival his joyful behavior was tempered by his health issues. Similar to other products of commercial breeding, a combination of malnutrition and inbreeding led to the fact he is very small, had a curved spine, misaligned paws, and an assortment of dental and sight problems. His physical deformities also contributed to his stereotypical behavior of chewing his tail.
Simba was only three years old; he deserved a chance to get well. With 3 years of intensive care and guidance from Felida, he made small improvements. But In August 2024 his neurological problems got worse.
An MRI revealed part of his brain with permanent damage. His medication was adjusted and in just one month, he underwent an incredible transformation. Once haunted by past traumas Simba has become a completely new lion. He began to run and started to play with his sister and neighbor, Elza and happily greets his keepers.
Simba is another example of our belief that big cats are some of the most forgiving and resilient species on the planet. They deserve our care, and we are comforted by their recovery.
Our Medicat program funds special procedures required by tigers or other big cats in Sanctuaries. Tigers in America was happy to help with Simba’s recovery.
