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| Sara the lion cub in a Beirut apartment owned by the founders of Animals Lebanon. |
The exotic pet trade has been operating around the world for decades, covering every country and continent. The vast majority of wild animals, including endangered ones, are smuggled every year in large numbers to feed the insatiable appetite of public consumerism. These animals are forcefully taken from their natural habitats and find themselves on harrowing journeys which bring them to the confines of their owners' properties in the urban jungle. There are exotic pets found in almost every country in the world. However, they are not just limited to the developed world. In recent times, exotic pet ownership has also turned up in war-torn countries. One of those countries that has been brought into the spotlight is Lebanon, which was recently attaked in connection to the war in the Middle East.
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| Co-founder of Animals Lebanon Jason Mier preparing a crate to transfer Sara for her departure. |
It is not just civilians who are affected by the brutality of the war. Animals have also suffered from the devastation and were forced to be relocated out of the country after being rescued. One of these casualties of war was a four-month-old lion cub named Sara, who was saved from being used as a prop in TikTok videos by a social media influencer. Sara's rescue has been attributed to the work of Animals Lebanon, an organization on the frontlines in rescuing both wild and domestic animals displaced by warfare and transporting them to other countries for a better life. Since its establishment in 2008, Animals Lebanon has rescued and transported 25 lions, tigers, and other big cats to sanctuaries around the world for their safety and well-being. Sara is the fifth lion the organization has rescued and transported since fighting broke out between Hezbollah and Israel last year. Before the war broke out in Lebanon, the organization used to fly the rescued animals out of Lebanon via Middle East Airlines, the only airline which still flies in and out of the country. However, according to the organization's co-founder Jason Mier, the carrier now no longer transports animals. This led to coming up with an alternative strategy. In Sara's case, the process began when she was sheltered at an apartment in downtown Beirut which Mier shares with his wife, co-founder Maggie Sharaawi. After about two months, Sara was transported in a metal crate to a waterfront in Beirut's Dbayeh district where she was placed on a yacht bound for Cyprus. From there, she was flown to Dubai and then to Cape Town where she now resides at Drakenstein Lion Park.
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| Maggie Sharaawi, vice president of Animals Lebanon, calms Sara before her transfer. |
I really admire and applaud the extraordinary efforts by the members of Animals Lebanon to rescue the lives of several animals displaced by Israeli airstrikes. Their headquarters in central Beirut contains more than 200 cats, dogs, and birds which is a testament of their efforts going above and beyond to ensure the animals' survival. What struck me is that the animals rescued by the organization did not just include pet dogs and cats, but also exotic pets such as big cats. Sara was one of many big cats rescued from a life of such pain and misery. Maggie Sharaawi, who was Sara's main caregiver, pointed out that the cub had scars and ringworm all over her face and body when she was brought in. Despite the illegality of owning big cats in Lebanon, there are many affluent residents who use their influence known as wasta to get what they want. Even more shocking is that the cats and other such exotic animals are part of breeding programs in Lebanese zoos which lack veterinary expertise and proper enclosures without appropriate nutrition. Other rescued animals include six baboons which are in the process of being transported to a sanctuary in Dorset, England. In addition, there are eight animals from a zoo in the city of Baalbek in Bekaa Valley which include bears, lions, a tiger, and a jaguar.
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| Sara leaves for Cyprus with Jason Mier (left). |
This trend of exotic pet ownership is present in other Middle Eastern countries, as well as Lebanon. While the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia made significant strides in banning the trade and ownership of big cats and bears, others such as Kuwait don't have such restrictions. The ownership of such animals entitles the so-called "owners" as a sign of social status and boost to their social media followings. Despite reports and incidences involving big cats seriously injuring or even killing someone associated with an exotic pet owner, nothing has been done to ensure both the cats and general public are safe. Even something as ominous as a tiger walking down a highway is not enough to implement sufficient measurements on restricting the trade and ownership of big cats and other large exotic predators. I strongly urge the governments of those Middle Eastern countries without proper restrictions in exotic pet ownerships to implement significant steps to ensure no big cat or other exotic pet that poses threat to the general public end up living in the confines of affluent communities. Futhermore, this concept of wasta should not deter authorities and other stakeholders playing a big part in battling the ownership of exotic animals. These affluent members of society should be tried under full extent of law for keeping such animals that belong in the wild.
