Abused lion rescued from circus given sanctuary in Northeast Alabama
Kazuma, a 14-year-old African lion, recently arrived at Tigers for Tomorrow at Untamed Mountain, a reserve in Attalla, Ala. Photo by Tim Barber. Story by Ben Benton
From: timesfreepress.com
Saturday, January 28th, 2012
ATTALLA, Ala. — Kazuma, a 14-year-old male African lion saved from a life of abuse in a problematic Guatemalan circus, found a new home this month at Tigers for Tomorrow at Untamed Mountain.
Susan Steffens-McCauley, executive director of the facility about an hour and a half south of Chattanooga, says the already 300-pound Kazuma is steadily gaining weight since he arrived about two weeks ago.
Undeterred by downpours on Thursday, Kazuma was smacking around a large, red plastic bobbin toy while Steffens-McCauley’s husband, Wilbur McCauley, slipped the furry king of the jungle small bites of food through the 10-foot high chain link fence and scratched his chin.
Kazuma exulted in the attention like a quarter-ton Alabama barn cat.
“He’s doing quite well; we’ve had him about two weeks now,” Steffens-McCauley said as the big cat stretched and watched his new human friends approach.
“What are you doing, Zuma?” she shouted to the lion who immediately recognized his name with a glance but didn’t stop playing with his new toys.
She first got a call from Guatemala in July about an abused lion and his need for a home, she said. A fundraising campaign from the first week in November to the end of the year generated the money and in-kind help to get Kazuma to his new home.
“It just became this huge community effort; DeKalb Co-op up the road gave us all the wood for his jungle gym, James & Co. [Antique Lumber] gave us all the wood for his den-box, Stephens Pipe & Steel Inc. donated every piece of steel and fence for his cage, which was about $10,000,” she said.
Students at nearby Crossville Elementary School raised over $1,200 and adopted Kazuma as their new mascot, she said.
Crossville Elementary officials said a program Steffens-McCauley and crew put on at the K-5 school generated the money.
“We charged $2 admission for the program,” Assistant Principal Tony Bright said. “All the money we took in we donated to the preserve.”
Bright predicted the preserve and the school’s link to it through Kazuma would benefit students for years to come.read more: http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/28/abused-lion-rescued-circus-given-sanctuary-northea/
ATTALLA, Ala. — Kazuma, a 14-year-old male African lion saved from a life of abuse in a problematic Guatemalan circus, found a new home this month at Tigers for Tomorrow at Untamed Mountain.
Susan Steffens-McCauley, executive director of the facility about an hour and a half south of Chattanooga, says the already 300-pound Kazuma is steadily gaining weight since he arrived about two weeks ago.
Undeterred by downpours on Thursday, Kazuma was smacking around a large, red plastic bobbin toy while Steffens-McCauley’s husband, Wilbur McCauley, slipped the furry king of the jungle small bites of food through the 10-foot high chain link fence and scratched his chin.
Kazuma exulted in the attention like a quarter-ton Alabama barn cat.
“He’s doing quite well; we’ve had him about two weeks now,” Steffens-McCauley said as the big cat stretched and watched his new human friends approach.
“What are you doing, Zuma?” she shouted to the lion who immediately recognized his name with a glance but didn’t stop playing with his new toys.
She first got a call from Guatemala in July about an abused lion and his need for a home, she said. A fundraising campaign from the first week in November to the end of the year generated the money and in-kind help to get Kazuma to his new home.
“It just became this huge community effort; DeKalb Co-op up the road gave us all the wood for his jungle gym, James & Co. [Antique Lumber] gave us all the wood for his den-box, Stephens Pipe & Steel Inc. donated every piece of steel and fence for his cage, which was about $10,000,” she said.
Students at nearby Crossville Elementary School raised over $1,200 and adopted Kazuma as their new mascot, she said.
Crossville Elementary officials said a program Steffens-McCauley and crew put on at the K-5 school generated the money.
“We charged $2 admission for the program,” Assistant Principal Tony Bright said. “All the money we took in we donated to the preserve.”
Bright predicted the preserve and the school’s link to it through Kazuma would benefit students for years to come.read more: http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/28/abused-lion-rescued-circus-given-sanctuary-northea/
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