Juno the
lioness is at the dentist. Dr Vin Ramlaul of the Twenty Four Hour vet is
crouched in our hospital pen, wielding a hammer and chisel that look like
smaller, cleaner versions of the ones in our tool box, removing Juno’s broken
canine. The whole root was exposed and the canine snapped in half - Juno
has been in terrible pain for a long time. The only way for her to get
nourishment was to lick off tiny fragments of meat with her rough tongue and
her poor condition is testimony to her struggle to eat.
The Sanctuary staff huddle round like anxious parents, everyone tense and
silent as the clock ticks and the anaesthetic is topped up drop by meticulous
drop At last the massive tooth and its huge root are out – the metallic
smell of blood is thick in the hot October air as we wash Juno’s thin brown fur
and sponge her face after a long and traumatic, but successful operation.
The fur is
rubbed off round her mouth from where she has
pawed endlessly at the persistent pain caused by her broken tooth, and the tattered
stump of an ear, another broken canine and other scars are testament to Juno’s
battle to survive amidst the many lions in her former home. She walks with a
pronounced lurching limp – an old injury to her hip or pelvis that has healed
wrong.
Juno
arrived at the Sanctuary a week ago, together with Amber who is an
astonishingly pretty lioness with thick blonde fur and mesmerising eyes.
Kadiki, a neighbouring lioness who rules the Sanctuary with her great good
looks and charismatic personality, will not be pleased at such a beautiful
addition. Kadiki has perfected the insouciant, sway-hipped stroll and heavy-lidded
languor of a catwalk model, and is as
competitive and mendacious as any beauty queen could be. She likes to lord it
over plump, ponderous Elsie – our senior lioness, and adorable, clumsy Johanna
with her astonishingly big ears and damaged hind leg and little, submissive
Kimberly. Amber might not be quite so easy to dismiss.
Amber had
lived as a single lioness in an enclosure with two aggressive males. Ten days
after arriving at the Sanctuary she is still exhibiting the deeply distressing
stereotypic behaviour of a traumatised animal, pacing endlessly along the fence
line. Back and forth, back and forth, over and over again. Her eyes don’t see
anything, she is panting and covered in dust and her paws are swollen. We
tranquilise her and cover the sides of her enclosure with tarpaulins and she
seems calmer although there is a startling and swift aggression always lurking
just below the surface and she will fly ferociously at the fence, snarling and
grunting with rage for no apparent reason. The appearance of dinner and little
treats throughout the day calms her – she eats with patent relish, giving soft
exclamations of pleasure as she tucks in.
It was
thought that Amber was pregnant, but to our great relief she is not. With
eleven lions now in our care the thought of cubs to contend with was
daunting to say the least.
The Bally
Vaughan Animal Sanctuary has a No Breeding policy for our lions and other
wildlife. With most of our animals rescued from breeders, the sad state of
these animals when they arrive strengthens our commitment to this policy each
time.
The rescue
of Juno and Amber has been one of the most challenging to date. We have
rescued animals in worse physical condition, and we were pleased to see that
the facility they were taken from has improved the living conditions of their
lions, but the incomprehensible and unwarranted harassment we experienced
during this legitimate and legal exercise has shocked us all. In spite of
this, we remain committed to providing a safe haven for wild animals in need.
Nduna the
lion continues to make slow progress in his battle to walk again after an
injury. Watching him doing his stiff-legged, determined shuffle, tail swinging,
face creased in concentration makes our hearts swell with love and pride for this
exceptional lion who has been so very brave and dignified in the face of such
adversity. Last night he even ran, his face alight with pleasure at the
prospect of an unexpected treat (donated mutton) and we all clapped in delight
as he lifted his great head, dinner dangling from his jaws and triumph all over
his beautiful face.
He has
become completely mute again – when we first rescued him he didn’t make a sound
for a year, and now he is aware that once again, he is at a disadvantage to the
other lions. When they roar, he closes his eyes tight and buries his head
between his huge paws, or puts one of the go-kart tyres he loves to play with
over his face to hide the fact that he is not joining in. To see his confidence
so shattered is heart-breaking. Those wonderful
words from the novel “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett come into my mind
and I want to hug him and tell him, “You are kind. You are smart. You are IMPORTANT”.
Every now and again my husband, who is also the Sanctuary vet, has a
rush of blood to the head and screams, “No more lions!” after yet another
leonine drama – emotional, surgical or otherwise. After a phone call from a
breeder to say that one of his lionesses had escaped and was up a tree and
would we like her, his response was apoplectic. Even the brilliant suggestion
that having twelve lions would mean a different furry face on each page of our
Bally Vaughan calendars didn’t sway him. Fortunately the lioness was safely
returned to her home and became a moot point.... for now.
We would like
to thank the ZNSPCA for their support of the rescue of Juno and Amber (or
Fluffy as she has become known...) Thanks to the Twenty Four Hour Veterinary
Surgery, Kat Biljisma and Cool Galah – Australia, Aware Trust vets Keith
Dutlow and Eric Mutizhe, and Dr Tapiwa Hanyire of the Wildlife Unit, the Parks
and Wildlife Management Authority, Sandie and Chalkie van Schalkwyk, Wendy
Robinson, Joe Leese, Sharon Nicholls and Di
Fynn, Enid Graves, Radiator Services, Rose and Rogan Maclean, Russell
Cocksedge, Jem and Sue Cullen, the Book
Borrowers and Karen Bean, Sylvia Carter, Tasha Henning and Rani Maven – our Australian volunteers, the organisers
of the St John’s Fair for donating a stand to us to raise money for the lions,
and to everyone who supported us at the fair, Trinity Ncube, Bev Lawes, Carole
Graham, Anton Newall for loan of transport crates,
Mike Wedlock and Lorraine Thomas, Vera Taylor, Anoop Patel, Ashley-Kate
Davidson, Trudy Cashel, the Tikki Hywood Trust, Mrs Khumalo, Dhumile Meats, the
Bean Family, Food Lovers’ Market, Koala Park, Mr Musango, Montana Meats and Les
Duncan and Steph Watson, Karen and Stacey Gent.
Photographs documenting the rescue of Juno and Fluffy are on our
facebook page. Contact us on sarah@ballyvaughan.co.zw
or 0772 436 239 if you can help in any way with our Rescue and Rehabilitation
programme. We are desperately in need of cement, nails, tying wire and fencing
wire, metal or gum poles, hay, any dry food (dog food, cat biscuits, stock
feed, chicken feed, parrot seed etc). The number of animals in our care is
growing all the time and we are truly grateful for any assistance whatsoever.
With love and thanks
Sarah and all at the Sanctuary
Sarah Carter
THE BALLY VAUGHAN SANCTUARY
Tel: 263 772 592 944 or 263 733 436 239
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