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Sophie’s Diary – July 22, 2017
Sophie’s Diary – July 22, 2017,
I started the morning by doing a fence check. It was so beautiful to walk alongside the lions in their enclosures with a beautiful view of South Africa. Everything was fine with the lions and the fences. Johan was at the top of the mountain continuing on his plumbing project. I met Andi by Natacha’s enclosure and we checked on her tail. It looked a bit dirty but there were no fluids coming out of it, which was a good sign. She was up on her feet and moving around. I then went down to the British volunteers to help them get meat out of the freezer for the lions. We took out cow legs and a head. We got good pieces of meat to put Natacha’s and Mela’s medicine in. We threw the meat into the enclosures and then went to feed Odin and Carl at the top.
As we drove around the sanctuary feeding the lions, this gave us a great opportunity to change all of the locks for the enclosures. They have been using locks that require a key. We bought 20 new padlocks that require a combination instead. This will make it easier and more efficient for them to get in and out of the enclosures.
Johan finished the plumbing for Andi’s bath tub and toilet. We went to Carl’s enclosure to install the pipe we bought yesterday. Johan dug the holes for the pipes and I used cable ties to secure the pipes in place. They have been filling his watering hole manually, but now they will be able to just turn on a tap outside of his enclosure that fills the hole with water, instead of having to go inside the enclosure. This will make it much easier for them in the future! It was very cute because Carl was helping me when I was tying the cables ties! We got the water running in Carl’s water hole, however didn’t get a chance to fill it to the top as we had to finish planning a surprise birthday party for Andi.
We held the surprise party at Tale’s house and told Andi that Tale had forgotten her bag and would need her to drive it to her house. Little did she know that we had her parents, best friend, daughters and many friends at Tale’s house waiting to surprise her! When she opened the door, we were all there to surprise and welcome her! We held the party outside and had a great time together eating fantastic South African food, talking and enjoying a fire as it was only three degrees outside. Andi’s best friend made a wonderful birthday cake for her and her daughter Taiga read out small letters everyone wrote to Andi. As a birthday gift we gave Andi bath products, as she now has a new, fully functioning bath tub to enjoy.
It has been another great, exciting and thrilling visit here at the Love Lions Alive Sanctuary. We have enjoyed every minute of our time here helping out. It has been a privilege to support them with two surgeries for the lionesses that needed to be spayed, getting 20 new efficient locks for the lion enclosures and giving them new water pipes for the watering holes in the enclosures and for Andi’s private bathroom. It was hard to say goodbye to Andi, her team and of course the lions. It was especially hard for me to say goodbye to Carl, I was nearly in tears as he holds a special place in my heart.
It has been amazing to help hands on, but also amazing to see Andi and her team do such a fantastic job in person. Their commitment and passion towards the lions that live here is unlike anything else. They have truly done a great job, and have continued to save more lions lives. They give lions a safe haven in which they can live out the life they deserve in dignity. The lions get to live a life of freedom, from big enclosures to roam around in, to big rocks to lay on, to trees and water holes. These lions are living their best life thanks to the ongoing hard work of the Love Lions Alive Sanctuary. We highly recommend this amazing place to volunteer at. Helping with the work of caring for lions here is unlike anything you will ever do. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Love Lions Alive Sanctuary through their website http://www.llavolunteer.com/.
Sophie Lööf
Lööf Foundation Chairman and Founder
