Newz: March 2008

THE ZOO NEWZ
The Lion’s Roar, A Laura Simms Community and Compassion Initiative
Saving Animals in Need and
Changing the story a community tells about itself

March 2008

Please Join Laura Simms and our International Staff in Our Last Great Endeavor As We Rehome all the Animals from the Buhusi Zoo in Romania

WE STILL NEED TO CARE FOR THE ANIMALS STILL LEFT AT THE ZOO

Last month the stork, the baboons, goats and deer were moved to the Barlad Zoo. Still remaining at the Zoo in Buhusi are the three lions, and the 4 dingoes. In May Ursula our Tibetan bear is being taken to her new area at the Bear Refuge in Brasov (run by WSPA). A generous donor, Lynn Orchard has given us money to have a separate enclosure built for Ursula that can later be used for other bears in her condition and species. She is mostly blind, older and like all Tibetan black bears needs to be alone.

Jane Sanderson is returning to Buhusi at the end of this month with medical supplies, and other needed items to see how best to save our three remaining lions. She will be able to visit the baboons in Barlad Zoo with someone who can help them improve conditions and provide enrichment in the baboons cage. She will also visit the Bear Refuge. We will be able to post photos of the animals' new homes.

Three dingos died this winter. The four that remain need a new home urgently.

Jane Sanderson is returning to Buhusi at the end of this month with medical supplies, and other needed items to see how best to save our three remaining lions. She will be able to visit the baboons in Barlad Zoo with someone who can help them improve conditions and provide enrichment in the baboons cage. She will also visit the Bear Refuge. We will be able to post photos of the animals' new homes.

Our big concern is the fate and well being of our three beloved lions who were not physically strong enough to be moved to Shamwari in South Africa. During the last months of autumn, Born Free sent someone to take down the unneeded bars in the lion's cage to give Romany and Gypsy more space. We posted photos of their new platforms, and large trees strongly demented for clawing and rubbing.

We need to rehome the lions! Our dream is of seeing some place adopt the three sweet loving creatures where they can live out their lives in some comfort and have the vet care they need. It would be a fantastic educational exhibit that could be used to promote better care for wild animals, particularly lions who have been used as props for Romanian photographers. Their sad story would help children to understand what happens when creatures are used in this way and not cared for in captivity.

Here is a report from Shamwari, so you can read about our three lions and the little lion saved from a terrible small cage in a park in Bacau, near Buhusi. All four are flourishing in South Africa's Shamwari lion refuge thanks to the astonishing generosity and kindness of Born Free and APAR. Any donations will go towards:

Building platforms for Bella our lone lioness: $100

Providing good food for the remaining animals at the zoo, until they are rehomed: $200 for food/ per week for remaining animals.

Providing money for a campaign to save our 3 remaining lions from euthanasia.

Help to transport the 2 dogs and 4 cats to the UK.in August.

All donatins to Lions Roar are tax deductible in the US Please help us to help them!

Laura