Ruben the lion gets his first taste of freedom after being abandoned at a zoo in Azerbaijan following the death of the businessman owner
- The 15-year-old lion had forgotten how to roar after spending six years alone
- His sensational rescue came about after the Daily Mail brought attention to his plight
With a nervous look and a hesitant paw, Ruben the lion tastes freedom for the first time.
The 15-year-old forgot how to roar after spending the past six years alone in a cramped cage in Azerbaijan.
But now – after diplomatic negotiations, multinational planning and a 22-hour flight – he is starting a new life in a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.
The rescue came about after the Daily Mail highlighted his plight as the only animal left at a zoo in Azerbaijan following the death of the businessman’s owner.
British charity Animal Defenders International masterminded the effort to free Ruben from the tiny enclosure he’d spent his entire life in to his safe haven in South Africa, with the help of Qatar Airlines.
ADI President Jan Creamer said, “We were in tears when Ruben got out of his crate and walked on grass for the first time in his life.”
SOUTH AFRICA: New pride as Ruben walks on grass for the first time
AZERBAIJAN: A vet takes care of Ruben before he is taken to safety
The lion had forgotten how to roar after spending the past six years alone in a cramped cage – but has now taken its first steps on African soil
Ruben is loaded onto the plane for his flight to freedom
The rescue came about after the Daily Mail highlighted its plight as the only animal left in a zoo in Azerbaijan