Changing A Lion's Life
The lioness in our story was rescued and brought over to a lion foundation called Stichting Leeuw, which is located in the Netherlands.
She would travel a very long distance to get there as she was living in Egypt. But that's only a snapshot of her story. What kind of life did Masrya have?
A Young Lioness
When Masrya was a little cub, she was purchased from a street trader. From then on, she lived in poor conditions and spent most of her time in a cage.
For nearly two years, she was used as a prop for tourists who wanted to take their photos with a lion. As she grew up, life became even tougher for her…
On the Side of the Street
The young lioness kept growing and growing, so she had to be put in a cage and, her owner decided to place that cage outside his house.
Inside the property, he had a small zoo, and Masrya was the perfect attraction right from the entrance. But nobody knew how much she suffered in the cage that was too small for her to lay down!
Confined To a Small Cage
Masrya was too big and too strong to be allowed on a chain in the street. Even confined in a small cage, she was dangerous to tourists, so the owner had her declawed. All of the lioness's claws were pulled out so she wouldn't pose a threat to those that passed by her cage.
Then, one day, a woman from Germany who was visiting Egypt one summer passed Masrya's cage. It was the beginning of a new life…
Animal Cruelty Spotted
For the first two years of her life, Masrya spent it inside a tiny cage posing for photos. At one point, her owner pulled her out of the cage and chained her outside to be put out on display. This was during some of the hottest days in Cairo.
The lioness would soon learn that this wasn't a lions' life at all. It happened when a German woman witnessed the terrible moments…
Forced to Live in a Tiny Cage
Masrya was living in such a small cage that she couldn't even sit properly. She was nothing more than a prop that her owner could use to make money off her.
He would bring people over to take pictures of her as she laid in her stuffy cage. One day, a woman would change Masrya's life forever.
Rescuing Masrya
Soon, however, Masrya's entire situation would change in the blink of an eye. A German woman named Saskia Berndt witnessed the cruel treatment that Masrya was undergoing.
She quickly took a photo of the situation the poor lion was in. In July 2012, Saskia was going to be the one that started the rescue mission of this lioness!
Witnessing the Cruelty of Others
Saskia saw how poor Masrya was treated. She was confined in a tiny cage, hit with rocks by locals and had to endure hot days on the street.
The lioness could only watch the world from behind those bars, never knowing what wilderness really was about. But her life would soon change...
Taking The World By Storm
The woman from Germany took a photo of the lioness and posted it online. It was a small step, but it took the world by storm in just a few weeks.
A Conservation group spotted this post, and this is how Masrya was rescued. But until then, they had to work hard to make this dream come true…
Masrya Was Going to be Fine
Saskia began sharing that photo online. She wanted everyone to see the horrible treatment that Masrya was going through.
Eventually, a petition was started to get Masrya out of the hands of her owner. The petition eventually reached the eyes of the U.K.-based organization Spots and Stripes Conservation!
A New Home
The Spots and Stripes Conservation started a ton of fundraisers to get enough money to purchase Masrya.
Eventually, they raised enough to have her transferred to Stichting Leeuw, the lion foundation. Soon, Masrya's story would become a viral sensation when she finally touches the grass for the first time…
Tons of Lions
The lion foundation is home to lions from all across the world. Many of them have been rescued from terrible situations such as illegal circuses.
When Masrya finally arrived at the conservation, she was in a terrible condition…
She Couldn't Walk Properly
Being caged for so long, Masrya was having problems walking. Thankfully, there were no other health problems, except for being weak because of an improper diet.
She would be doing so much better at Stichting Leeuw, but there were a few more other issues with this lioness!
She Couldn't Hunt on Her Own
Since Masrya was declawed, she could no longer hunt for herself. This meant that she would have to depend on the sanctuary for all of her meals.
Masrya would finally get enough red meat instead of chicken. Things were starting to look better for the lioness. That's when she met a friend…
A New Life
The sanctuary continued to work hard to provide Masrya with the best living conditions possible.
They fed her a healthy diet, and she had all the space available to move around. Still, there was another serious issue plaguing the lioness.
Feeling the Grass Under Her Paws
At the sanctuary, Masrya finally felt the grass underneath her paws. She was miles away from the terrible life she had in Cairo.
But what the lioness was missing was a partner that would share the wilderness with her. Masrya got the surprise of a lifetime, and her reaction when she sees this new friend is heart-melting!
The Next-door Neighbor
Then one day, the most unexpected thing happened. Masrya was introduced to a lion cub that had just been brought into the sanctuary.
Nobody knew how she would react, but being with another lion could be very beneficial for the both of them. The staff planned for this meeting, but no one expected what happened next.
The 4-month-old Lion
The cub was a 4-month-old rescue named Nero. The cub was placed in an enclosure that was right next to Masrya.
She was able to get a good look at him each day, and the two of them happened to have more in common than you would think.
A Life at the Circus
Nero was taken away from his mother at a young age and forced to work at a French circus. He was also used for photos and was used as a prop for tourists.
The circus life was all Nero ever knew... he had never seen other lions. But now he was in good hands, thanks to someone who tipped the rescuers!
The Only Cub of the Litter
The French circus had a lioness that gave birth to four cubs in captivity. Nero was the only one that had survived, and he was taken away from his mother after the circus canceled the lion act.
But instead of going to a sanctuary, he was sold to another circus!
He Was a Picture Cub
Poor Nero became a picture cub. But when he wasn't posing, he was kept in a trailer, inside a cage… Thanks to another concerned person, Nero's life was about to change.
Thankfully, he only endured a few months before his life became thousands of times better!
Hidden In a Trailer
One of the circus contacts tipped Stichting Leeuw about Nero's situation, and the sanctuary took him to their facility.
At four months old, he was finally leaving the isolation he had been through for the first few months of his life. That's where he'd meet another of his kind, Masrya!
In Need of a Mom
Masrya had never been a mother or seen another lion in her life, and Nero was in the same situation. Nonetheless, they both needed companionship.
Masrya needed a friend, and Nero needed a mother figure. In theory, they would have been perfect for each other… But would they get along?
Their Reaction?
The staff hoped Masrya and Nero would get along, so they first placed them into two enclosures to meet through the fence.
How would the big cats react when they see each other, considering they've never seen other lions so far?
Instant Connection!
Masrya and Nero's friendship began through the fence that kept them apart.
The two of them would often play through it and would interact all of the time. So the staff decided to finally formally introduce them.
Great Pals
Once they were introduced, the pair became instantly inseparable. They would do everything together, and Masrya really saw something in Nero that she adored.
It might just be that they both grew up in confined circumstances. Months passed, and the two became a pair!
Lovely Friendship
The pair could be found playing and kissing all the time. Masrya absolutely adored Nero, and the staff at the sanctuary knew that they couldn't separate them again.
So when it was time for the lions to go home to Africa, they knew Nero and Masrya had to go together.
A Package Deal
Everyone knew that Nero and Masrya were a package deal. In Africa, the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary knew everything about Masrya, said Minunette Heuser, the sanctuary co-founder.
They were more than thrilled to learn that the pair would become residents there!
An Inspiring Story
"We followed Masrya's story from day one, and she was the lioness who inspired us to do what we do."
"Imagine our surprise and delight when, years later, the very same lioness, with her new partner, [came into] our care," said Minunette in a short documentary on Nero and Masrya's lives. Let's see them step into their new home in Africa…
Going Home
It was time for Nero and Masrya to go home! The pair were both shipped over to the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Limpopo, South Africa.
Nero stays by his partner's side all the time, and their connection is still just as strong as ever. And he's now a handsome lion!
Spoiled Big Cats
It's tough to imagine that these magnificent creatures were used as props or objects for tourists.
Looking back at their lives in the cages, it's safe to say the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary staff are spoiling Nero and Masrya.
Inseparable
Nero and Masrya now have a lot of room to play, run and live without any worry.
They are finally enjoying their lives together in the wild and are still inseparable!