As the sanctuary evolves, it remains focused on expanding its enrichment, education, and conservation initiatives. Each new programme not only enhances the well-being of the big cats but also empowers visitors and communities to understand their role in protecting wildlife.

The sanctuary situated just outside Bethlehem is home to over 100 rescued big cats. It hosted an enrichment tour where items were created to stimulate natural behaviours in the animals.

The event also marked just over a year since eleven lions were rescued from war-torn Sudan and started their new lives at the sanctuary.

“Enrichment is a very important part of the life of wildlife in captivity,” said sanctuary manager Hildegard Pirker. “Because they cannot display their natural behaviour as they would in the wild, we have to stimulate natural behaviour and try to reduce boredom.

“We try to give them the most natural life here, and enrichment is a very important part of that. It also helps them recover from trauma, especially animals rescued from bad conditions. It’s part of behaviour enrichment.”

The rescued animals were deprived of a lot of things. Starvation, stress, injury, and confinement are some of the things they went through.

“The animals have recovered very well from that; they are very resilient animals, but no animal should ever have to suffer during a conflict or be left behind.” 

Education is a core pillar of LIONSROCK’s mission. The sanctuary hosts school programmes and teaches children about animal welfare, empathy, and responsible pet care, while adult visitors gain deeper insight into ethical tourism, sustainability, and the global threats facing big cats.

The holiday enrichment experience also included guided tours and an exclusive screening of the award-winning big cat documentary Dethroned. The 2023 documentary examines how humans have a complex and frequently exploitative connection with big cats, ranging from respect to commercialisation.

It follows photojournalist Aaron Gekoski as he travels the world to cover topics such as the illicit wildlife trade, big cat farming, tiger petting zoos, and the use of big animals in traditional medicine.

“The documentary plays a crucial role in exposing the dark side of the exploitative big cat industry. It’s an eye-opener; most people don’t know the extent of exploitation globally.

“Documentaries like this raise awareness and show the public they can also play a part in protecting animals.”

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OFM News/Zenande Mpame dg