The young lion’s parents, Kim and Carl, watched curiously as their son, Kiros, arrived in a crate for the family reunion
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/kiros-lion-cub-032726-0a33ca254ad848b1ba1abc325307bf30.jpg "Kiros, A young lion who was sold as a cub is now reunited with his family at The Wildcat Sanctuary in Minnesota.")
Credit: The Wildcat Sanctuary
NEED TO KNOW
- Kiros, a young lion, was reunited with his parents, Kim and Carl, after being separated and illegally sold as a cub
- The Wildcat Sanctuary rescued Kiros after getting a call from a zoo that he was related to two lions already in their care
- “After everything he’s been through, he can now relax at his forever home,” said the sanctuary’s director
A young lion got a sweet reunion with his family after being separated.
Kiros, the young male African lion, was illegally sold as a pet when he was a cub, according to a news release from The Wildcat Sanctuary.
Staff from the sanctuary in Minnesota had discovered Kiros was missing during a rescue mission to save lions from squalid roadside zoo in Quebec, Canada. Kiros’ parents, Kim and Carl, among nine lions rescued.
“From the moment we heard about the missing cub, we hoped we might one day find him,” said Tammy Thies, founder and executive director of The Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone.
She continued, “To discover that Kiros not only survived but could come to the sanctuary where his parents now live is incredibly powerful. Stories like this remind us why rescue work matters.”
Credit: The Wildcat Sanctuary
The sanctuary then got a surprising call a few months later. There was a young lion, related to Kim and Carl, who was looking for home.
Staff checked photos and records to confirm it was Kiros.
Authorities had taken the lion cub and gave him to an accredited zoo, which cared for him for 18 months while a legal proceeding involving the roadside zoo in Quebec was resolved.
Staff at the accredited zoo lovingly named him Kiros, which means "lord."
The Wildcat Sanctuary then traveled 2,280-miles roundtrip to bring Kiros back to his family in a crate, after obtaining the proper international permits. Kiros’ parents watched curiously as their son arrived at the sanctuary for their reunion.
Kiros now lives in a natural habitat with his parents at The Wildcat Sanctuary, which is hopeful that he will form a pride with the other lions, including another rescued cub named Mango, who was also saved from the roadside zoo.
Credit: The Wildcat Sanctuary
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“Kiros’ story highlights the cruelty of roadside zoos and the illegal pet trade,” Thies said. “But it also shows what’s possible when animal welfare organizations, accredited sanctuaries, and caring supporters work together to give these animals the lives they deserve.”
She concluded, “This is a new beginning for Kiros. After everything he’s been through, he can now relax at his forever home.”
