"World's Loneliest Lion" Has Finally Found Home (image @Qatar Airwas)
Ruben, the loneliest lion in the world has finally found abode after five years of being abandoned in a zoo in Armenia. Ruben has been mouldering in seclusion when owners of the zoo decided to close down.
With aid from Animals Defenders International (ADI), an international wildlife charity, along with support from Qatar Airways Cargo”s initiative weQare, Ruben is finally home. Ruben has been taken to a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.
Qatar Airways shared on X (formerly twitter) about Ruben as “A story about Ruben, world”s loneliest lion”.
A story about Ruben, the world’s loneliest lion#QatarAirwaysCargo helped transport Ruben from a closed zoo in Armenia to a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa, through our #WeQare Rewild the Planet initiative🦁#MovedByPeople #AnimalDefendersInternational pic.twitter.com/Xn4n8BGaR2
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) September 13, 2023
Elizabeth Oudkerk, SVP of Cargo Sales and Network Planning at Qatar Airways Cargo said when they heard the “sad story” of Ruben from ADI, they immediately knew that they had to step in. “It takes a lot of effort from our team to organize such a transport, but it is something we are all collectively very proud to be a part of, knowing we helped give back to our planet”, she added.
Jan Creamer, President of Animals Defenders International stated Ruben was really in trouble before the Qatar Airways Cargo stepped in. “ADI has been funding his care in Armenia since December, and we could find no flights for him, we feared he could be stuck there. Then Qatar Airways Cargo and its WeQare initiative stepped in, moving a larger aircraft with hold doors big enough for Ruben”s crate into the scheduled passenger route out of Yerevan. We are so thankful to Qatar Airways Cargo for all their support in helping get Ruben to South Africa”, he said.
Ruben is now getting better. Gaining back his confidence to voice out his emotions and walk around, he is getting better. The 15 year old Ruben has been deprived of required communication and movements for the past five year. Which had significantly effected Ruben”s mental health.
WeQare is Qatar Airways Cargo”s sustainability initiative programme which is based on four core pillars of priority – environment, society, economy and culture. According to Qatar Airways Cargo, the initiative exists as “a conscious endeavour to create a more positive impact on the industry and the world”.
Qatar Airways Cargo is one of the world”s leading international air cargo carriers. It is based in Doha.
