We all held our breath as Bella emerged slowly from her crate, one foot at a time, stepping onto the soft sandy soil. Standing alongside her crate, on the other side of the fence, was Virginia McKenna and Wildlife Centre supporter Sue Alves. They had had the honour of opening the crate to give Bella her freedom, and had waited patiently for 40 minutes for Bella to feel comfortable enough to emerge. Now the waiting was over.
c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon
Bella stood outside and looked at the trees around her, and then left and right at the few people standing quietly along the fence line. Then a strange thing happened: Bella walked over to Virginia McKenna and looked her straight in the eye. Many of us watching said that the intense exchange seemed endless, although in reality it only lasted several long seconds.
c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon
Perhaps it isn’t so strange. Many of us who spend time with dogs will have experienced the recognition they seem to have of the stranger who has experience with their kind. Perhaps Bella could sense this familiarity and understanding Virginia McKenna has with lions.
Perhaps it is merely because Bella is only long-sighted in her remaining eye and was trying to focus on the first human nearest to her. At the time though, many felt it was a spine-tingling moment, only broken when Bella turned to sniff the air.
c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon
She then walked steadily across the freshly-cleared earth towards the trees, and with one final backwards glance over her shoulder towards Virginia, Bella melted into the trees. She walked through the trees into open ground by the fence and we left her to explore her new world in private.
Donations made here are
Dec 23rd Derek H USD 57.50
3 Comments
what a moment it must have been for the people i am talking about. as for the lioness, i am sure she will be at the very least content with her natural and much improved environment.
we humans just too often under estimate the inner strength of an animal especially of the feline species for they do and can tolerate much higher level of pain ( suffering than many animals we know well ) unfortunately for them and shamefully for us. they can do with pride and integrity ( many mistaken such behavior for aloofness or agression ).
Congratulations!!! I hope Bella is happy in her new home and perhaps finds a mate soon
Happy that Bella is out of those horrible conditions. She definitely has to be happier here – not perfect – as in the wild is better – but at least she can live out her life in more natural surroundings.