Jengu, along with 8 of his siblings were born in a Romanian zoo in Braila in 2007. The Zoo lacked space and money which resulted in abominably poor living conditions for these one-year-old cubs. Emaciated, sickly, and malnourished to the extent that a few cubs had underdeveloped hind legs due to calcium deficiencies because of their diet. The stark reality is that these cubs would inevitably have ended up sold to photographers who often use these beautiful cubs for taking pictures in tourist areas, perpetuating this endless cycle of cruelty at the hands of humans who would feed them very little and even go as far as sedating them, all in the pursuit of financial gain. 

Their rescue by FOUR PAWS came not a minute too soon and swift arrangements were made for their transfer to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary, their new forever home in 2018.  

The eight, with varying degrees of required care, would over the years be introduced to smaller family units or rehomed to our special care unit, under the watchful eye of our on-site vet and in close proximity to the clinic. 

Several FOUR PAWS campaigns are highlighted in this story: Inadequate keeping conditions, unethical wildlife practices, and using big cats for financial gain. Grateful that this vicious cycle was broken early on but never complacent with what Jengu and his siblings had to endure and what so many animals still endure is an ongoing battle.