Lion rescued from theme park now safe in sanctuary South Africa

Mannie, a six-year-old African lion rescued from a theme park in the Netherlands, now lives safely in a sanctuary in South Africa.

For years, Mannie was kept in Mondo Verde, an amusement park in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. He lived alone in a small indoor enclosure with only limited outdoor space.

The enclosure was close to noisy rides, which caused him constant stress. He could not interact with other lions and had no chance to express natural behaviors.

The park is home to many other animals, including monkeys, alpacas, zebras, camels, wolves, and wallabies. It also has a white lion and a white tiger. The park keeps the animals in enclosures surrounded by visitors and loud attractions like rollercoasters.

While the park claims to care for the animals, animal welfare organizations argue that the environment is unnatural and stressful. Wild animals need peace, space, and stimulation, not the noise and crowds of an amusement park.

Sanctuary South Africa

Animal welfare organizations World Animal Protection, Bite Back, Stichting Leeuw, and The Lions Foundation worked together to rescue Mannie.

After a careful planning process, Mannie was flown to South Africa on April 17, 2025. He now lives at The Lions Foundation sanctuary, where he can roam freely and live among other rescued lions. He has space to explore, rest, and build social bonds with other lions.

“Mannie will be able to spend his remaining years in a more natural environment, and we sincerely wish him that. Now he can truly be a lion again,” Sanne Kuijpers, campaign manager at World Animal Protection, said.