ABC News Shares Story of 11 Lions Rescued From Conflict-Hit Sudan
When we think about war, many people don't consider the devastating impact that it has on animals in surrounding areas, too. ABC News recently shared the story of 11 lions who were rescued from conflict-hit Sudan in November 2023. These lions finally found their forever homes in South Africa through the help of Four Paws, an animal welfare organization.
The video, that was posted on Wednesday, February 21st, explains how the lions along with 37 other animals were rescued in November and moved to a safe location in Wad Madani where there were given care and protection. Listen in as Dr. Amir Khalil describes his feelings about the rescue, and their efforts since taking the animals to safety.
I'm so glad people were able to help these animals! Most were able to be released back into the wild, but the lions were sent to a sanctuary in South Africa where Dr. Khalil hopes they'll get "rest, peace, and proper care". ABC News commenters were so grateful that the animals were safe after their rescue...all but one that is. @Debbie shouted, "Yeah it’s disgusting that he’s in a cage! Why is he in jail!!!! You're sickening dude!!!" I'm wondering how this commenter thinks that they should've transported the lions; it's not like you can just put them on a leash and hope they are on their best behavior!
Related: Moment 'World's Loneliest' Lion Feels Grass for the First Time Is Magical
Cool Facts About Lions
One thing I always notice about male lions is that some of them have big, beautiful manes while others do not. I wondered why that was and did a little research. Females don't grow manes, which isn't surprising since the male's testosterone is what causes them to grow a mane. The older a male gets, the longer their manes grow. Their manes are a sign of strength and fertility, and females prefer long, dark manes. A full head of hair is a turn on for them!
Lions are pretty lazy and spend about 20 hours of a day resting and napping. Most of the hunting is done by the females, who also teach their cubs to hunt as well. A fun fact about their feet is that their heels don't ever touch the ground when they walk, but they do use them for jumping.
Lions live in groups called prides and use their powerful roars to communicate. In fact, a male lion's roar can be heard up to 5 miles away! It's also pretty beyond cute when the cubs adorably practice roaring - I could listen to that all day! Speaking of cubs, they are known by a couple of other names too and are often called whelps or lionets according to NatGeoKids.com.
While these big cats are often referred to as the 'king of the jungle', they don't actually live in jungles and are found in grasslands and plains. I love learning these kinds of random facts about animals and I really never realized just how interesting lions are.
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