Ruben the lion enjoys first taste of freedom after he was abandoned in an Azerbaijan zoo following the death of its businessman owner
- The 15-year-old lion had forgotten how to roar after spending six years alone
- His sensational rescue was triggered after the Daily Mail highlighted his plight
With a nervous glance and a hesitant paw, Ruben the lion has his first taste of freedom.
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, multi-national planning and a 22-hour flight– he is starting a new life at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.
The rescue was triggered after the Daily Mail highlighted his plight as the only animal left in a zoo in Azerbaijan following the death of its businessman owner.
UK-based charity Animal Defenders International masterminded the effort to deliver Ruben from the tiny enclosure where he had spent his entire life to its safe haven in South Africa, with the help of Qatar Airlines.
ADI president Jan Creamer said: ‘We were in tears when Ruben stepped out of his crate, walking 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 helps look after Ruben before he is moved to safety
The lion had forgotten how to roar after spending the past six years alone in a cramped cage – but has now taken his first steps on African soil
Ruben being loaded onto the aircraft for his flight to freedom
The rescue was triggered after the Daily Mail highlighted his plight as the only animal left in a zoo in Azerbaijan
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