BEIRUT — When Sara was first rescued, she was in a state of disarray—sick, exhausted, and plagued by ringworms and visible abuse on her small body. After two months spent in a cramped apartment in Beirut with an animal welfare organization, the four-and-a-half-month-old lion cub safely arrived on Friday at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa, completing a lengthy journey by yacht and planes, fleeing both Israeli airstrikes and the harsh treatment from her previous owners.
Sara is the fifth lion cub to be rescued from Lebanon by the local organization, Animals Lebanon, amidst escalating conflicts between Hezbollah and Israeli forces that erupted following the deadly Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7 last year, which sparked the Gaza war.
Animals Lebanon first learned about Sara through social media back in July, where her Lebanese owner, based in the historic city of Baalbek, posted flamboyant videos showcasing the cub on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. However, it is important to note that keeping wild and exotic animals is illegal under Lebanese legislation.
According to Jason Mier, the executive director of Animals Lebanon, Sara was primarily being used for the owner’s display and vanity. In mid-September, the organization was finally able to rescue her after filing an official complaint with law enforcement, which led to an interrogation of her owner and the eventual surrender of the cub.
Shortly after, conflict escalated dramatically, with Israel launching a campaign against Hezbollah after a prolonged period of low-intensity border skirmishes. Baalbek faced intense bombardment during this period, but Mier and his team successfully evacuated Sara just weeks before the heavy airstrikes commenced, relocating her to an apartment in the bustling Hamra district of Beirut.
Transportation plans to South Africa were initially set for October; however, the war caused international carriers to suspend their flights to Lebanon as Israeli military operations increased near the country’s main airport. Following the Hamas incursion on October 7, Hezbollah began launching retaliatory rocket fire into Israel, provoking a firm response from Israeli forces that included bombings and air assaults.
Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Animals Lebanon was actively working to combat illegal wildlife trade and animal exploitation, rescuing over two dozen big cats and relocating them to sanctuaries. Since the onset of the conflict, the organization has also focused on retrieving pets stranded in damaged buildings as many Lebanese citizens fled the area due to the bombardment, with nearly 1,000 rescues occurring in just the past month.
Many animals remain under the care of Animals Lebanon because their owners are still displaced. Mier expressed concerns for these pets, stating, “It’s difficult to expect an owner to reclaim their animal when they might be homeless or living in a shelter.”
In the pre-conflict period, the organization was able to operate with relative freedom across Lebanon, as clashes were primarily localized along the border. However, conditions worsened as aerial attacks expanded to more areas, making their rescue missions increasingly perilous.
While completely uninformed of the chaos enveloping her, Sara prospered in her temporary environment where she was fed a daily diet of raw meat and grew to 40 kilograms (88 pounds). Every morning, she shared affectionate cuddles with Mier’s wife, Maggie, who is also involved in animal rights activism.
Yet a significant challenge loomed: how would they successfully transport Sara out of Lebanon? Animals Lebanon mobilized support through donations from their network of advocates to arrange for Sara’s passage on a small yacht bound for Cyprus, followed by a flight to the United Arab Emirates, finally culminating in her arrival in Cape Town.
Just days before her departure, Sara entertained herself in Mier’s apartment, surrounded by cushions and toys. Early Thursday morning, she reached the port of Dbayeh, situated just north of Beirut. Mier and his team experienced a poignant mix of relief and sadness as they prepared for her farewell.
Mier expects Sara to undergo medical monitoring and health evaluations upon reaching the sanctuary, but he is optimistic that she will soon join a community of lions. “She’ll be integrated with two other lions that we previously relocated from Lebanon, creating a lovely trio,” he explained. “This will be the ideal environment for her to live out the remainder of her life.”