Ruben gets his roar back! A lonely lion, left silent for years in an abandoned zoo, has a whole new life up his sleeve
- Ruben, the 15-year-old lion, endured solitary confinement in his tiny cage
- The zoo on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was owned by a Russian oligarch
For five years, the lion Ruben was the last animal in an abandoned zoo to go unanswered.
The 15-year-old was so scarred by solitary confinement in a tiny cage that he fell silent. But now Ruben is learning to howl again, with the help of the British animal rights group that rescued him.
Animal Defenders International’s Jan Creamer said the zoo on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was owned by a Russian oligarch.
After his death, all other animals were saved. “Unfortunately there wasn’t room for Ruben,” she said. “Lions live in family groups and the roar speaks to them.
Sweet freedom: Ruben learns to howl again with the help of the British animal welfare organization that rescued him
“He’s still trying to yell. Ruben has never felt the sun on his back or the wind on his face.’
Now he will soon find a home in a sanctuary in South Africa, where his rescuers hope he will roar again.
The bailout had to be planned in secret and strategically timed to avoid igniting tensions in the region, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Desperate for Ruben to have a better life, the family of the former oligarch agreed to the move, which had to overcome several armed checkpoints.
The 15-year-old was so scarred by solitary confinement in a tiny cage that he fell silent
Ruben was sedated and looked after by a veterinarian for the nine-hour journey to a converted bear sanctuary near Armenia’s capital, Yerevan.
He will soon be taken to an ADI lion and tiger sanctuary in South Africa.
Ruben, who was born in captivity at the zoo, has health problems due to his years spent alone with little food.
But his coat, once matted from mud and moult, regains its luster as he adjusts to a healthy diet and the comfort of a hay bed, two heated rooms and a 30-by-15-foot enclosure.
Rescue: Ruben the lion is rescued from his narrow cage in a safe container
“This is more space than he’s ever known, but the real transformation will take place in Africa, where he will eventually have access to 2.5 acres of natural habitat,” Ms. Creamer said.
“His lifelong limitations have weakened his muscles and there appears to be neurological damage to his spine and head, and one leg is wobbly and dragging. But we build him up with exercise and food and he responds well…
“Ruben is now engaging and interacting with people, which is wonderful to see. His calls went unanswered for five years, but we’re confident he’ll yell again.’