On my way back from my wildlife conservation holiday in Hoedspruit, I stopped in to visit my good friend Ditch at at the Moholoholo research centre.
Last week, I told you all of how Ditch was rejected by her pride, not once but twice, and how the rangers had resigned themselves to the fact that she had been away from them for too long to ever properly be accepted back. So it was once again that Ditch was returned by pick-up truck to Moholoholo.
At the time the animal rehabilitation centre also had another prideless lion living on the grounds, a male by the name of Big Boy. Big Boy had been brought to Moholoholo by order of the magistrate along with his two sisters, who later died of malnourishment as a result of their previous lifestyle in a circus. The rangers were worried that Big Boy wouldn’t accept Ditch and didn’t want her to sustain yet more injuries as a result of animal rejection. However, it must have been a case of third time lucky as Big Boy was very accepting of Ditch and took her almost straight away. The two are so content in each other’s company and can often be seen basking together in the shade or grooming each other’s fur.
Although Ditch is very happy with her new life, she still has a poorly leg and the vet is called out on regular intervals to check up on her. Her foot has started to develop abscesses and it is now evident that if she had been accepted back into her pride, she would have never survived. Life in a pride involves a lot of walking and Ditch’s injured leg would have eventually made her succumb to starvation.
I am pleased that things worked out so well for my good friend, Ditch and as I catch up with her in her enclosure at Moholoholo with Big Boy snoozing away in the corner, I can tell how happy she is with her new home and how things eventually worked out for her.
Z
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