Gaucho, a male lion that was rescued by the Drakenstein Lion Park from the “barbaric conditions” of a South American travelling circus in 2009, turned 20 years old last month.
This resilient king defies all odds, since the average life expectancy of a male lion is around 12-14 years in the wild and 16-18 years in captivity, says Shane Hart, assistant director at the park.
“When he was found he was severely malnourished. He suffered numerous kinds of horrendous abuse in the circus, even though he was never an on-display animal. One form of brutality that affected him most was his de-clawing (a standard circus practice for circuses with big cats), which mutilated his paws for life.”
Hart said Gaucho had been confiscated from a circus in Chile and temporarily housed in the country’s Buin Zoo until his relocation to Drakenstein in October 2009.
“Gaucho was quite nervous when he first stepped into his enclosure here, likely because he had never had anything close to that much space before, or even walked on grass or seen a tree. He found his feet quickly and it did not take long for him to become one of the stand-out personalities at our sanctuary.”
Gaucho has since formed good relationships with his neighbours at the park and currently has a fantastic relationship, through their shared fence, with little Leo (12), who was rescued from Lebanon in November 2011.
Hart says even though Gaucho has arthritis at his advanced age (likely because of the de-clawing) one can often see the two of them running up and down together.
Gaucho is also an incredibly vocal lion – he always has something to say, and often starts the roaring chorus after feeding time.
According to Hart there are only a few true sanctuaries in South Africa.
“We are one of six to seven sanctuaries in the country that truly offer a home for rescued lions. We don’t allow breeding among our lions. They have very big enclosures that are as natural as possible.”
- The Drakenstein Lion Park has been rescuing lions since 1998, and is open daily from 09:30 until 17:00. Admission for South African residents is R80 per adult and R40 per child. The big cats are fed at 16:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
