Our Animals

Meet our animals! FELIDA is a sanctuary that provides special care to big cats that were rescued from poor conditions such as private keeping, circuses and zoos.

Lioness Elza

Used as a pet

Lioness Manuschka

From a circus act to a safe home

Lion Diego

Saved from a life of suffering

Tigresses Kenya and Samba

The last circus tigers of Slovakia

Lion Gjoni

From a restaurant cage to safety and sanctuary

Lion cub Mero after his release at FELIDA

Lion Mero

A lion cub caught in the wrong world

Tiger Tajmir

The tiger that was kept as a pet

Czechia

Romania

Kosovo

Germany

Slovakia

South Africa

Tiger Tajmir in bad keeping conditions investigated by Czech authorities before confiscation.

Tajmir’s story begins in 2013, when he was born at a big cat breeding facility in Czechia. Just two years later, he was transferred to a private owner. The conditions Tajmir was kept in were far from acceptable. Despite repeated warnings, the owner refused to make improvements, prompting the authorities to intervene and confiscate Tajmir. Read more about his journey to safety here!

Lioness Elza, one of the seven lions that FOUR PAWS rescued from private keeping in Picior de Munte, Romania.

The shy lioness Elza was used as a pet in Romania for the first four years of her life and after that, she spend her days in a very small cage next to her other siblings. In autumn 2021 FOUR PAWS managed to rescue her and bring her to FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary. Read more about her story here!

Lion Gjoni in the restaurant cage he was kept in Kosovo

Gjoni’s journey to FELIDA began in November 2019, when FOUR PAWS discovered he was being kept in a cage at a restaurant in Kosovo. Smuggled illegally into the country, Gjoni was confiscated by authorities in 2020 but had to remain in his small cage due to the lack of suitable facilities. FOUR PAWS stayed involved, working for years to find a species-appropriate, long-term solution despite the complexity of the rescue. Read more about his journey to safety here!

Lioness Manuschka in the circus act of Quaiser

Lioness Manuschka was only 3 months old when she was separated from her family and sold with her half-brother to a German circus. For years, she was forced to perform tricks in the circus. After the unexpected death of her companion the young lioness found herself scared and alone awaiting her uncertain future. Read more about her story here!

Lion Diego was rescued from private ownership in the Czech Republic and taken to a private big cat facility for temporary care in Slovakia. The plan has always been to move him to a sanctuary, but despite many efforts, Diego was not been able to find a species-appropriate home where he can get the care he deserves – until now. Read more about his story here!

Lions Roman (right), Vincent (left), Geena (front) and Dolf (back)

Since FOUR PAWS has taken over the big cat centre in the Netherlands and named it FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary, a total of 20 animals have been brought to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary, our sanctuary for rescued big cats in South Africa. Get to know the animals that made the journey from FELIDA to LIONSROCK. Discover here!