Kandaka was among the five lions suffering from starvation and illness with visibly protruding ribs and flaccid skin, held with grim changes with rusty bars in the Al-Qurashi zoo of Khartoum.
As a recent France 24 report said, this lioness was once ill and emaciated in a rundown zoo in the capital of Sudan. However, because of wildlife enthusiasts, she is now thriving in a reserve "watching her cubs grow."
Conditions worsened as Sudan's economic crisis deepened amidst months-long protests in 2019 that resulted in the toppling of former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Out of the five lions in the so-called "ramshackle zoo," two died.
The plight of the animals shot to public attention two years ago after an online campaign prompted animal enthusiasts, veterinarians, conservationists the world over to rush to their aid.
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Kandaka the lioness was once sick and emaciated in a rundown zoo in Sudan's capital, but thanks to wildlife enthusiasts, she now thrives in a reserve watching her cubs grow.
Kandaka at the Al-Bageir Reserve
According to Othman Salih, who founded the reserve in January last year, Kandaka was transferred to the Al-Bageir reserve with the two other surviving lions. Their health has since improved favorably.
The site, a one-hour drive south of Khartoum, stretches over about 10 acres, or roughly the size of six football pitches.
As a testament to the lioness' recovery, five-year-old Kandaka was called as such, the name of the ancient Nubian queens of Sudan, a related Deccan Herald News report specified.
It is a term that has come to be linked to the women who played an important role in the protests that ousted Bashir. Kandaka is currently thriving in Al-Bageir, one of the 17 lions throughout Sudan.
Challenges in Keeping Animal Welfare
Unfortunately, keeping the reserve up and running is not an easy task. Volunteers, frequently juggling full-time jobs with their love and passion for animal welfare, have been facing challenges with long commutes, soaring prices, not to mention limited resources.
Such challenges have increased since the military coup in 2021 led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, which stimulated regular mass protests and roadblocks.
Salih, who travels every day to the reserve from Khartoum, explained that the prices are excessively high.
The running costs of the reserve stay high, which includes providing over 100 kilograms of meat for the giant cats every day. It has so far been kept afloat because of donations and tours for families and students.
However, Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, has been reeing from a plunging economy because of decades of international isolation.
Years of Starvation and Severely Poor Health
Volunteer Moatas Kama, who lives in the twin city of Omdurman of the capital, said he still goes there every day despite the challenges. He added, it's like the world outside does not exist when he's there.
He specifically pointed to a male lion's survival from the eastern city of Port Sudan after battling years of starvation and severely poor health.
The lion's name is Mansour which means "victor," a translation for overcoming certain conditions. It remains unknown how many lions have survived in the wild in Sudan.
African Lions as Vulnerable Species
Essentially, African lions, as described by the African Lion and Environmental Research Trust, are categorized as "vulnerable species" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their population decreased by 43 percent from 1993 to 2014, with approximately 20,000 individuals left in the wild.
Despite this, Salih is still hoping that his reserve will overcome hardship and rescue more animals, and remind Sudanese of the wildlife they have lost from the country. Probably, he said, one day, they'd be able to have "elephants, giraffes, and zebras that have vanished from Sudan.
Related information about Sudan's starving lions is shown on WION's YouTube video below:
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