Kassala | A Queen with a playful streak! 

Kassala is a confident queen, obviously - with a playful streak! She’s grown so much since arriving and now rules her space with grace and energy.

She adores her older sisters and spends her days running, wrestling, and napping in the sun. Her absolute favourite? Hessian bags stuffed with horse or game dung—she’ll snatch one up, leap onto her platform, and go wild until it’s in shreds! Talk about therapy session! 

Curious and cheeky, she loves “helping” the caretakers clean (mostly by trying to play with their tools). When she’s not busy causing mischief, she enjoys quality time with her sisters and a little flirtation with the boy next door.

Kassala has come a long way, and with her big heart and bigger personality, she’s well on her way to becoming the queen of a pride! 

Born to the horrors of war 

Kassala is the youngest of the lions rescued from an active warzone in Sudan in early 2024. Born in war, she knew only fear, hunger and the noise of bombs destroying the world around her.

When we met her, she was desperately thin and would protect any food we gave her with her whole body, growling and watching our every move with giant, wild eyes until we were far enough away from her that she felt safe to eat. Her own father, Altayeb, starved in the enclosure next to hers and her mother, Burra, tragically passed away the day before we arrived.  

Her and her companions’ journey out of Sudan saw them pass over 50 checkpoints, travelling dangerous roads, risking missile air strikes and navigating the challenges of curfews, blackouts, floods and limited supplies of food and fresh water. But it was all worthwhile.

Kassala and ten other lions arrived at LIONSROCK on 16 February 2024, where they have received specialised care and finally found solace.  

Kassala’s new world 

Kassala is undoubtedly a strong and resilient lion after everything she’s been through, but as her recovery progresses, she’s also starting to show her curiosity and playfulness as she grows more comfortable socialising and leaves the fear that dominated her existence behind.

She can now often be seen relaxing in the sun with her head on the paws of her companions – a total transformation from the scared young lioness we initially met. 

Long-term starvation, particularly in young animals can cause irreparable damage to the internal organs and stunt their development. As a result of this early malnutrition, Kassala’s paws are outward turned, but this will correct with time and the proper nutrition she’s now receiving.  

Together with the psychological trauma of what she’d been through, Kassala has a lot to still overcome, but at LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary, she’ll continue to receive the special care that she needs for the rest of her life.