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Newz: October 2008 THE
ZOO NEWZ Latest News from Buhusi! October 22nd The last three weeks have suddenly seen a flurry of activity at Buhusi Zoo as many of our efforts to find homes for the animals have started to take shape! While Jane Sanderson, Sue Le Boutillier and Laura Simms have spent many hours on e-mailing, making phone calls and trying to raise funds to help make these moves possible, our Romanian helper, Alina Ababei, has been an absolute miracle worker in helping to get through the mountains of paperwork, phone calls and vet visits to push through he practical side of the proposals. We are all completely indebted to Alina for her dedication and sheer determination to do the best for the animals. Thank you Alina! You are an absolute gem! 
Here’s the latest news –
Cats and Dogs
Last week, UK TV presenter James Lewis and his friend Mark Hughes, drove a van out to Buhusi to collect the dogs and cats which were to be taken to UK on the pet passport scheme. All the blood tests and vaccinations had been done, and after last minute veterinary checks, all the papers were signed and they started their trip to new homes.
We are especially grateful to James for making this journey as his wife Annabel was due to give birth to their daughter any time at all! The two dogs (Mollie and Dina) are now in foster homes, where they are being trained ready for permanent homing; the cats have been settled into James’ own stables and appear to be making themselves at home already! Our young puppies (Lyra and Luna) and kittens , who were too young to travel to UK, have now left Romania and after spending a few days at the S.O.S.dog shelter in Oradea, Romania, have been taken to Holland and into foster homes. Horses Two of our horses (Lily and Chestnut) have arrived in Holland and will soon be placed in new homes there. They were collected in a large truck, along with 3 other horses rescued from other zoos in Romania, and driven through Hungary and Germany to Holland. The remaining two horses (Coco and Ruby) will be taken from the Zoo pretty soon. We are extremely grateful to our friends and contacts in Holland and S.O.S. dogs Oradea, who have made this rescue possible. We know the horses will have loving homes in their new Dutch families. 
Bella the blind lioness
Bella was moved to a temporary enclosure at Brasov Zoo last week to enable UK vet John Knight, senior wildlife consultant to the Born Free Foundation and ophthalmic vet David Donaldson to remove her blind eye, which it was feared may cause her discomfort during travel. The operation was carried out at the Kronvet Clinic in Brasov that generously donated their facilities and their surgical team.
Lion’s Roar and the Born Free Foundation plan to send her to a sanctuary in Malawi once her recuperation is complete. She will be cared for by Ion Brumar vet at Brasov Zoo, for the next 6 weeks and her progress monitored. Once she is considered fit to travel she will be moved to a natural reserve, with expert care and attention. Bella has some difficulties with a spinal condition, due to the poor diet and care she has lived with before now, but we are confident she will enjoy several more years knowing the smells and sounds of her native environment. What else do we need to do? Dingos It now appears that our dingos will be offered alternative homes within other Romanian zoos. Two zoos, Ploiesti and Pitesti have agreed to take two dingoes each. Lions Roar will be helping to fund new enclosures. These dingoes have never known grass beneath their feet and we are anxious that they have enclosures which are more natural than the concrete pens they have experienced until now. Lions Roar is still hopeful that these enclosures will prove to be temporary measures as ultimately we are hopeful that one of our Australian contacts may be able to provide us with a better long term solution and return these poor dingos to their native country, where we are sure their behaviour will be better understood. We expect the dingos to be moved in the next few weeks. Romany and Gypsy The future of our two lovable, disabled lions looked uncertain and we have been resigning our selves to the fact that we may have to accept that they will have be euthanized. We have approached experts and sanctuaries all around the world about these two, who have short legs and spinal problems. At various times we have agreed that euthanasia would be best; then we have spent time giving them attention and enrichment activities and watched them enjoy themselves in their cages. If only we could give them a grassy enclosure, with a proper diet and knowledgeable care – could they improve? They have adorable personalities, as they have spent their lives in the proximity of humans, and they are inseparable. We will know what their future holds within the next few weeks. How to Give: Funds can be sent to the US, UK (euros and pounds) by using the donation form or Paypal. The Lion's Roar is a not for profit organization in the US, under the fiscal sponsorship of The Unity Project, inc. our 501c3 sponsor. Donations are tax deductible. Visit the donations page for more information.
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