Nala's Roar of Resilience

Bethlehem, 06 October 2026 – This October marks eight years since lioness Nala arrived at LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary, a FOUR PAWS sanctuary providing lifelong care for rescued big cats, where she now enjoys the freedom, care and dignity every wild animal deserves.

Born in 2015, Nala's early life was far from natural. She was rescued from a man in France who trained and sold wild animals to circuses. After years of legal efforts by French authorities, the animals were finally confiscated in 2017. Nala was taken into the care of Stichting AAP and transferred to their big cate rescue centre, Primadomus in Spain on 01 March 2017 before making the journey to South Africa.

At the time, LIONSROCK was caring for a young male lion named Saeed, who was in need of a companion. Having worked closely with Stichting AAP before, it was decided that Nala would move to LIONSROCK, allowing Primadomus to create space for future rescues. On 11 October 2018, Nala arrived at LIONSROCK and was initially housed in the Special Care Unit, where plans were made to introduce her to Saeed, who sadly passed away unexpectedly before the introduction could take place.

Today, Nala continues to thrive in her forever home. She enjoys her spacious natural surroundings and dedicated care from the animal caretakers. Known for her energetic personality, Nala especially loves enrichment in the form of hessien bags filled with her favourite scents and is eager to be challenged with more complex options. Her playful personality continues to be a defining trait. She greatly enjoys her weekly training sessions and consistently shows strong learning ability, picking up new concepts quickly and eagerly.

"Nala's transformation shows what is possible when rescued animals are given the care, safety and space they deserve. Today, she is thriving at LIONSROCK, a powerful symbol of resilience, hope and second chances," says Hildegard Pirker, Sanctuary Manager at LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary.

Located near Bethlehem in the Free State, LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary provides a safe haven for rescued lions, tigers and other big cats that cannot be returned to the wild.

For more information, please visit our website at www.lionsrock.org