GOODBYE BELLA & SIMBA

It is with great sadness that we today said goodbye to Malawi’s iconic lions, Bella and Simba. Whilst this day has come much sooner than we could have hoped, we are also proud that we could give them such a good quality of life for so long, away from the cruelty they experienced in their early life.

Bella first arrived at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in 2009 after she was rescued from a zoo in Romania by the Born Free Foundation. Prior to her rescue, Bella had been in poor shape due to neglect and improper care: she had deformed hind legs resulting from an inadequate diet when young, and eye problems which eventually led to the loss of an eye. While she seemed to love people, it was clear to everyone that she needed the company of her own kind.

So, Born Free and the Natuurhulpcentrum Animal Rescue Centre teamed up to rescue Simba, a male lion, from a Belgian circus.  Simba had likely never felt grass under his feet until he stepped out of his crate at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in 2014. The start of Bella and Simba’s ‘love story’ was perhaps a little turbulent but they had since formed a happy partnership and had lived together in peace and tranquility under African skies since then.  

Sadly both lions had ongoing health problems and these, combined with their advancing years, mean that they had started to slow down over the last few months. Although Bella generally managed well throughout the years, her leg problems had started to trouble her more, and her eyesight and hearing were deteriorating. It was also becoming more of a challenge to make sure she is eating and therefore receiving her medication. Simba had a deformity in his hip which had affected his mobility and which had become more pronounced over the past year. He had also been under treatment for several other health problems for many months. 

Bella and Simba stood for so much that we work to highlight – the need to expose the futility and cruelty of certain zoos, the inevitable problems that can come from a life in captivity, the need for excellence in rescue and animal care, and the amazing resilience and dignity of animals who have been through so much.

Thank you to everyone who has supported them over the years, especially the Born Free Foundation, Olsen Animal Trust, David Walker and Natuurhulpcentrum. Here’s to Bella and Simba!

For more information contact Kate Moore, Programmes Director, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust.                   Email: kate@lilongwewildlife.org, tel: +265(0)993800289