
LION BOBBY
Rescued from “Europe’s worst zoo”
Bobby was together with the lions Zhaku and Lenci, rescued from Safari Park Zoo Fier in Albania by FOUR PAWS. This zoo was known as “Europe’s worst zoo”. His battered nose is a sad reminder of his difficult life in Albania. Since May 9th, 2019 he lives at the FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary.
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Liberated from concrete
In October 2018, a FOUR PAWS rescue team managed to rescue the three lions, as well as the other wildlife from Safari Park Zoo Fier. Bobby had lived on a concrete floor in a small cage for years. There was no protection from wind, rain or sunlight. After the rescue, the lions were transferred to a temporary residence in the Albanian capital, Tirana, until the Albanian ministry authorised transport to the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the ministry initially did not cooperate, and bureaucratic arbitrariness hindered the movement of the three lions. FOUR PAWS launched an online petition signed by nearly 70,000 supporters. With success: the lions got the green light. After a journey of 52 hours and almost 3,000 kilometres through ten countries, they were finally home.
After the rescue, the care begins
Sometimes we say that the work really starts after the rescue. Bobby, Zhaku and Lenci were all in very bad shape. So bad, unfortunately, that help came too late for lion Zhaku: he died two months after arriving at FELIDA. Bobby didn't have an easy time either. He suffered from teeth problems and a severe urinary tract infection. Although we could help him with both problems after his arrival at FELIDA, it took him a long time to completely recover from this. In addition to that, he suffers from kidney failure. No recovery is possible for this, but we support him with medication to provide him with the best life possible.

Peace at last
Bobby's favourite hobby is to lie down and rest, relax and sleep in his hammock. He is not a playful or active lion. After his morning routine - in which he examines his enclosure, marks his territory and roars in the ‘lion choir’ - he jumps into his hammock where he prefers to lie around all day. Enrichment is simply not his thing. On the other hand, he really likes the clicker training with his caregivers. He is very intelligent and eager to learn. But otherwise he is most of all just very lazy. For years, Bobby lived on a concrete floor, but now he has finally found peace.
Update June 2023: Medical check
In the beginning of June we discovered that Bobby was not feeling quite well. We know from his past that his bladder wall has been affected by the chronic bladder infections he had before he arrived at FELIDA. We are currently supporting him with supplements to protect his bladder wall and we check his urine regularly. The result has shown that there are traces of blood and white blood cells in his urine which can indicate that there is an infection. Therefore, we have decided to schedule a medical check to find out exactly what is going on and make a new treatment plan for him.
Wildlife veterinarian Mandana Pötsch from Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research came to FELIDA to examine his bladder and kidneys and take samples of his blood and urine. We will, together with our wildlife specialists, determine a new treatment plan for the 13-year old lion based on the results of these samples. We already know from previous medical checks that Bobby suffers from a further developed stage of chronic kidney disease and we will keep supporting him with medication.
After the medical check, which went well, Bobby woke up on a warm bed of straw in his heated indoor enclosure.
Update July 2023: Lab results
The last lab results of Bobby’s medical check show no significant deteriorating of his health. The wildlife veterinarians did detect a mass on his liver, but his blood samples show no changes in his liver function values or immune system. Which means that Bobby’s liver function is still stable. He also does not seem to have any symptoms at the moment.
To find out what the mass is, Bobby would need surgery and biopsies would need to be taken for pathology. However, since the 13-year-old lion does not seem to be bothered by the symptoms, we want to avoid any stressful and invasive procedures to prevent further deterioration of his chronic kidney disease. For now, we will focus on his well-being, support him with supplements and medication and treat his symptoms when they occur. Should anything change with his health, we will of course keep you updated.
Update 2022: A year full of adventure
Bobby was over the moon with his new neighbor: lioness Elza. This interest is mutual. In the beginning Elza was still a bit suspicious towards him and when she indicated that she needed more space, he gave her this like a real gentleman! But now she shows more and more interest in Bobby. We are therefore rotating their enclosures so they can discover each other's territory.
In October 2022, it was exactly 4 years ago that FOUR PAWS rescued and evacuated our beloved lion Bobby, together with 10 other neglected wild animals from Safari Park Zoo in Fier in Albania, known also as “Europe’s worst zoo”. He suffered from a severe urinary tract infection and was in a lot of pain. The lion had to come a long way. Thanks to our intensive special care, Bobby now enjoys life to the fullest every single day. He does not have to be stressed or anxious anymore. We are so happy to see him feeling well, relaxed and at home at FELIDA.
To ensure that every animal receives the best possible care in the winter, we have relocated animals within FELIDA in December 2022. Bobby, together with his neigbour Elza, moved to the large enclosure of Tsezar and vice versa. We have adapted the enclosures to their own special needs and made sure that they all have heated indoor enclosures to keep them comfortable during the cold nights. The move went very smoothly and efficiently. Bobby of course immediately tested his new hammock, but he also wanted to make sure that his old neigbour Elza was still next to him.
Note: Any advertisements that may appear during the viewing of this video are unrelated to FOUR PAWS. We assume no liability for this content.
FACTS ABOUT BOBBY
- Born in Albania in 2010
- Can be recognised by his battered nose and wild manes
- Is very curious about his neighbour Elza
- Not playful with enrichment
- Prefers to lie down in his hammock whole day