Mero was kept illegally by a private individual before confiscated by Czech authorities in March 2025. The breeding, trade, and keeping of wild animals remains a highly profitable global industry, fueled by exploitation and loopholes in legislation. While countries like the Czech Republic have made progress, only allowing ownership with veterinary authorization, it is not enough to deter private ownership. The rise of social media along with its need for content created a market for big cat ownership. Displaying your lion or tiger is the ultimate cat video.
Mero was not imported from Africa, he was bred in Eastern Europe and sold as a cub to a private owner, convinced his wildness was bred out of him. At 10 months old is now a liability to his owner, the novelty of having a big cat wears off and the owner becomes unwilling or unable to care for him leading to a life of suffering in a substandard enclosure or resold into the trade.
Thankfully local authorities contacted FOUR PAWS and confiscated Mero. The challenge with confiscation is a place to hold the cat while awaiting paperwork to transfer the cat. Since there are no big cat sanctuaries in the Czech Republic arrangements to transfer him out of country it would take some time.
In the southernmost part of the Czech Republic near the Slovakian border Zoo Hodonín, a small local facility agreed to care and feed Mero until arrangements were completed. In the past traditional Zoos have been reluctant to get involved but this is clearly a case the wellbeing of a Mero overriding apprehension. Four months later Mero began his 600-mile journey in a custom FELIDA Big Cat ambulance from Hodonín to his new forever home in the Netherlands and released into a specially designed enclosure. He receives individualized care and building trust with his caretakers.
Not the first case of a lion rescue in eastern Europe, and probably not the last. Felida rescued Nikola a lion cub wandering around the streets of Montenegro. But this case highlights a larger more encouraging issue: the rise in local awareness to support confiscation and participation of Zoos as waystations during rescues in Eastern Europe.
We at TIGERS in AMERICA are happy to provide financial support to get Mero home and thanks to Zoo Hodonín for his temporary care.
