ABOUT SAFINA

WELCOME TO THE SAFINA LION PROJECT HEADQUARTERS!

"Safina" is an African lioness. She was born on the 30th November 2005 to "Riziki" and "Karla" at Linton Zoological Gardens in Cambridgeshire. "Safina" is descended from the Woburn Safari Park pride in Bedfordshire where her parents were born. Her great grandfather "Legs Diamond" can pretty much be considered a grandfather of the African Lion community in the United Kingdom with descendants in over ten collections around Britain and Europe. 

BUT WHY IS SHE SO SPECIAL?

This project is incredibly sentimental it is because of this lovely little lioness that I have decided to try and save her kind. My name is James Welch and my fascination with lions has been ongoing for as long as I can remember, some may call it an obsession. 

I first visited Linton Zoo in 2001 at the age of seven where they had an elderly lioness "Lily" I can remember watching her on top of her platform fast asleep. Sadly "Lily" died the following year of old age, however this gave the chance for Linton Zoo to establish their famous reputation with lions once more. Woburn Safari Park where I was a regular visitor and Junior member at the time had just put a brand new pride together. Two new boys "Sly" and "Shane" took over their pride, resulting younger lionesses having their first litters. A young lioness called "Tamby" was the first to give birth on the 5th July 2003. She gave birth to seven cubs but unfortunately six of them died straight away. The remaining cub had no future at Woburn with the rest of the pride so he needed a new home. This is where Linton comes in...

With an empty lion enclosure and at the time thirty years of experience in rearing and breeding lions, Linton was first on the list to take any cubs from Woburn Safari Park. The little cub was sent to Linton Zoological Gardens where he was reared by Zoo Director Kim Simmons and from a tiny ill cub he grew and flourished into what he is now, one of the largest lions in the entire country. The cub was named "Riziki" swahili for "lucky" he is certainly a very lucky boy indeed, and here he is below when I first met him in 2004. 

But of course in order for "Riziki" to head a brand new pride at Linton, he needed a girlfriend. "Karla" who was born to different parents at Woburn was the ideal choice, she again was rejected by her mother and she was sent to Linton a few months later. Both of these two flourished at Linton Zoo under the love and care of the Simmons family. Two rejected little lion cubs from Woburn Safari Park, two little lions that would have died if they were born in the wild were given a second chance, and both of them have always stayed strong since their arrival.

I remember watching "Riziki" sat on his platform that afternoon. Here he is sat on the same platform where many lions had sat before him, including his predecessor "Jaspa" who was the father of "Lily" the lioness who I saw here in 2001. It turns out that in the 1980's "Jaspa" and his mate "Lucy" one of the lion pairs resident at Linton Zoo at the time bred many cubs that were sent all over the World, some of those cubs were sent to Woburn Safari Park. It is therefore incredibly likely that "Riziki" is descended to the original Linton Zoo lions, "Dusty" and "Tanya" who were "Jaspa's" parents. 

Not only do the records match up, but "Riziki" is the complete spitting image of "Jaspa" according to Linton Zoo Director Kim Simmons, and she would know as she reared them both, just thirty years apart. It is very fitting and to me a very nice fact that Linton lions returned to Linton in some way or another to establish their second breeding pride.

On the 30th November 2005 everything changed for myself. That night my Grandpa died, but also on that night, "Safina" was born. This is definately one of those moments in life that really do match up, when something bad happens, something good happens too, and "Safina" is living proof of that to me, she was special from the very start.

Due to the inexperience of "Riziki" and "Karla", "Safina" had to be taken out straight away for her own safety, as they had both been hand-reared their instincts didn't grow as quickly as they normally would have if they were reared by their parents. Hand-rearing animals is a very viscous circle, and it is only done if the animal is rejected by their mother. So "Safina" was taken out of the lion enclosure only weighing a couple of pounds, very cold, and very ill. Every single minute of warmth and milk she got was critical for the first couple of days but she got through it and fought her way through. "Safina" was reared once again by Zoo Director Kim Simmons who absolutely fell in love with her, so much so, she built her, her very own brand new enclosure just so she could stay at the Zoo. However before her enclosure was finished she needed the constant love and attention from her very own adopted lion pride of the Simmons family to help her through. She spent every night for her first year sleeping in the house and during the day she was walked to an enclosure where she is pictured below. This is where I first saw "Safina" and wasn't she absolutely gorgeous? She was a cheeky girl right from the start and her charisma just beamed out. This really was a day that changed my life completely, my fascination with lions had changed to an affinity, but not just to lions in general, an affinity to the lions at Linton Zoo. So at the age of 12 I knew that what I wanted to do was to work at Linton Zoological Gardens and see them every day. 

 Not only did I meet "Safina" but I also met her future boyfriend "Zuri". However "Zuri" was much more of a surprise. Despite my googling and research before my visit I did not know that Linton had just taken on another young cub so it was a huge surprise to me when I met him. Being as enthusiastic and excited as only twelve year old obsessed with lions could be at a zoo I was running to and from the lion enclosures, however it turned out that children running around by themselves is not something liked by staff members, so my Dad and my Nanny who took me that time were quickly told by a member of staff that they needed to keep an eye on me, they quickly explained my interest and I showed her all of my pictures of the lions from my last visit, I was told by the lady to go to the coffee-shop and ask for a lady called Kim and to tell her that I'm the boy who likes the lions. So later on that afternoon I did and as you can see below, a life changing moment took place.

In the day at the age of twelve I had met two lions that would form a huge part of my life. As after every visit I would always go and see "Safina" just before I left, and here she was on that visit that evening. Wasn't she absolutely gorgeous? I will admit this is one of my favourite photos of her, she still has the same face and the same eyes, i'll never forget the day that I met her, "Safi" has always been more to me that just 'a lion'. "Safina" is swahili for "beautiful one" what a very fitting name for her eh?!

And so began seven years of constant visiting, nagging to my parents to take me to go and see "my lions" and it was worth it. Throughout the Seven years of monthly visits and extra keeper experiences for birthdays I started to build up a bit of a relationship with the two of them.

I have been incredibly lucky to watch these two grow from tiny cubs to the majestic lions that they are now. You can follow their progress and look at all of their photos on my blog Just Lions. Just Lions will give you the histories for all lions in the UK as well as all the up to date photos taken of African Lions around Britain, focusing on the Linton lions of course. Throughout those seven years I have watched "Zuri" and "Safina" have their first cub, who unfortunately had to be hand-reared. "Zara" pictured below spent her first few weeks at Linton Zoo whilst being hand-reared but she was then sent to Paradise Wildlife Park. A year later however she was sent to the Ugandan Wildlife Conservation Centre in Entebbe. She is now back in the continent where she belongs. This really is the first step of sending lions back into the wild, "Zara" really is a Linton lion back in Africa.

I have been very lucky to not only meet "Zuri" as a cub but to meet "Zara" twice. The first time she was only six days old, I really was incredibly privileged to see such a little cub at such a young and delicate age, it really is something that I will never forget. We are all incredibly proud of "Zara" as she has now successfully given birth to her first baby boy last Summer. Sadly the cub had to be hand-reared however hopefully it wont be too long until she is rearing her own cubs by herself, Linton lions born in Africa. This is not the end of this particular story and fingers crossed that it will only get more exciting as time goes on.

I have watched them rear their own cubs by themselves, a really beautiful trio of cubs "Zulu, Masai and Louisa". I have had the huge honor of watching "Zuri" grow from a tiny cub, to a scruffy adolescent right up to the huge majestic male lion that he is now, it is hard to believe how much he has grown sometimes, especially as to those who know him so well, he still has the same face. 

Here "Safina" is with her three little cubs from 2009. "Safi" was an absolutely perfect mother and she was completely devoted to her cubs, even "Zuri" took a keen role in the rearing of the cubs. However it didn't seem too long at all before the cubs were sent to their new homes. The cubs were moved to Noahs Ark Zoo Farm in January 2010, the two boys "Zulu" and "Masai" are still resident there but little girl "Louisa" left the following year for a new life at Longleat Safari Park. She is part of a brand new woodland pride, following the retirement of their previous now elderly group of lions. "Louisa" is now part of an establish pride with a group of lionesses born at Blackpool Zoo. Their pride is headed by two boys "Henry" and "Hugo" from Knowsley Safari Park, and the great news is that "Louisa" and "Hugo" had their first litter last Summer, making "Safina" and "Zuri" grandparents from both of their daughters!

Here are some photos below of "Safi" and myself as the years have gone on.

I have many memories with this girl for seven years, I have been to see them in all weathers, for all kinds of reasons. And never have I left them without smiling. These two really are my life, but throughout the seven years "Safina" has always stuck out more than "Zuri". She was always the one who grew more attached to me over time and she was always the one to come up and see me first even if it is just to say hello and go back to sleep again. She really is one very special little girly.

As you can see in all these pictures, she really never fails to make me smile. She really does mean the world to me, and it has always been my ambition to work at Linton Zoological Gardens and see her every single day. All I have ever wanted is to see "Safi" every day.

"Riziki" is now ten years old and remains as king of the Zoo living with his mate "Karla". His roars can be heard echoing through the Zoo and as far as the village of Linton too. He really is the lion of Linton. "Riziki" may only be ten years old but his descendants are already spread throughout the country, he is now a great grandfather and wont be very long until the following generations are born. As you can see below he does look stunning...

I am now in the incredibly lucky position where at the age of nine-teen I am working in a Zoo. However I am incredibly lucky for many reasons. Working at Linton Zoological Gardens is incredibly special because of the memories that I share when visiting with grandparents who sadly are not still here but also for all the time that I have spent since the age of twelve being a regular visitor and watching all the animals especially "Zuri" and "Safina". I really am now living the dream of seeing them every single day, I check on them every morning, I see them every lunchtime and I sit with them every single evening before I leave the Zoo. I have never wanted anything more.

The most important and exciting thing since I have started working full time is that it has given me the chance to really build up my relationship with them both. I am now at the stage where I can call their names, and depending on their moods and the last time that they saw me, "Safina" will nine times out of ten come over to the fence to say hello and give me a head rub against the fence. Occasionally "Zuri" will give me a liony hello, consisting of a moany groany sound but only when he wants.

I am incredibly lucky that I can safely say that I have a special relationship with this little lioness. A lioness who will always recognise me and acknowledge me and who will if she is not fast asleep always come up just to say hello. She has helped me through countless operations when just holding a photograph of her can make me smile and she has given me a real purpose through all the time of recovery. Not only that she is just simply someone who i can sit and talk to, and she will look at me and listen. I am sure that all people who read this, will know what I am talking about if they too share a close bound with an animal. 

So this is why I have started the Safina Lion Project. "Safina's" wild cousins are suffering huge hardships in the wilds, there are only an estimated 23,000 of them left, but no one knows. No one knows of the troubles they face every day due to human greed and the growing population. Now working at Linton Zoological Gardens I have been able to start Lion Talks to the public where I try to educate and inform the public about our great Lion history at Linton and also the huge problems they face in the Wild. i am also extremely proud that since Easter 2013 to September 2013 I have raised over a thousand pounds for our sponsored lion charity "Lion Guardians". 

I have many people to thank so far for the opportunities and the inspiration that they have given me to keep my passion going for so many years. Namely my now boss Kim Simmons at Linton Zoological Gardens who has been a true inspiration and has taken the time to keep my enthusiasm alive since 2006,  I really cannot thank her enough. All staff members past and present at the zoo who have been welcoming enough to talk to me, especially Ben Abbott, Mikey Peck, Dawny Greenwood, and Paradise Wildlife Park's Nick Loudon for whom I share a love for the lion who he hand-reared named "Turkana", who sadly died in March 2013, he was the first lion that I ever saw and therefore very special.

We need to watch out, otherwise the King of the Beasts is simply going to slip through out fingers. And there is what the Safina Lion Project is going to try and prevent. Through awareness comes education, and through education comes the chance to make a difference.

So here we go Safi, this is all for you my girl!