NATACHA'S GALLERY

Nachi was born in France and smuggled to Spain where she was a circus cub used for photo opps. In order to hand a cub from one audience member to the next, in a loud space full of moving people, the cub has to be semi sedated. Nachi was. She lived in a box for the first 8 months of her life.

She was confiscated by the police and stayed with Chelui CATCH Spain until Captured in Africa Foundation could raise the finance for her to fly to South Africa and Andi could find the land and build her an enclosure.

She arrived at O.R. Tambo on the 7th of April 2016. Andi fetched her at the airport and took her to LLA sanctuary.

HER PHYSICAL STATE

She emerged from her crate on to grass, sky, trees, rocks etc. She would startle at the wind, her paw pads were not thoughened and she walked all scrunched up and slouching at first.

She seemed to have no bone structure, she was just a little "puddle" of lion. But she has lengthened and become lionesque and svelte as she has learnt to walk, run, climb and spread out both physically and psychologically.

HER IMPROVEMENT

Nachi gained confidence at first and very quickly showed Andi that she wanted to be rubbed. Andi did not expect this since she was badly treated by humans before. Nachi would lean into the fence and rub her back up against the spot Andi was sitting. Andi decided that it was her duty as a human to show her love and tell her that she is okay. Andi gave her loads of scratches and rubs daily. But it is not our aim at LLA for lions to find comfort from humans, we only give them hands on attention when they arrive here needing it. Our aim is for the lions to get on with being lions amongst other lions.

Natacha was spayed on 19th July 2017 so that she could live with the two males we introduced her to. Sasha and Moya have become her most loved companions.

Once she was with these other lions, Nachi no longer needed human love and we have left her to be with them with no more human interaction since then (Oct 2016).

Nachi brings joy to our hearts every day as we watch this little lioness move swiftly around her large enclosure. She is our most agile, active, athletic cat. It is as if she relishes, on a daily basis, being free to move.