The first time I met Nikita was at Big Cat Rescue, and boy, was she big.
She was known as the Queen around sanctuary grounds, and it was easy to see why- her golden-toned body towered over her serval and bobcat neighbors, and her massive form gave even some of the resident tigers a run for their money. Each day at noon, she would let out a series of mighty chuffs that echoed across the hallow grounds, reminding cats and people alike that she reigned Queen of the Rescue (and, more importantly, that it was time for her midday nap.)
Yet, despite her intimidating appearance, Niki was a gentle soul. Her golden eyes would widen with curiosity as tour groups approached her enclosure, and she was never too proud not to greet her caretakers with a hearty chuff. She was, I believe, as happy as a lion could be without a pride.
Before she found asylum at Big Cat Rescue, Nikita, like thousands of other big cats in the United States, was abused. She had been used as somebody's guard lion, chained to the basement wall in a state of stress and starvation. Months of being confined to a concrete floor had left massive swellings on her elbows and arthritis in her paws. These injuries would take months to heal.
How many big cats are in captivity in the US?
Turns out, that is a tough question to answer. Even after working at a sanctuary firsthand and doing tons of additional research, determining the exact number of big cats that are captive in the United States is impossible. Part of what makes this difficult is that a captive animal can mean many things. It may be an animal that's kept in a sanctuary or zoo, but it could also be a big cat that's privately owned- which isn't always ethical or legal. This is why standing up for the rights of big cats is so important. No more lions in basements!
How Can I Be Part of the Solution?
Don't pay to pet or play with cubs. These cubs are kept in abusive situations where they are torn from their mothers at a young age.
Donate your money to GFAS-accredited sanctuaries. These are places that do not buy, sell, trade, touch, or breed their cats.
Support representatives that speak up for big cats. These are the people that have the legal power to enact new laws that can end the abuse of cats across the country.
The authorities who found Nikita brought her to Nashville Zoo, where zookeepers hoped to assimilate her with a resident pride- she didn't. Nikita's lack of exposure interacting with other lions put her on the outs of the group, where she often be harassed if not straight-up attacked. With no means to defend herself (her previous owners had her declawed) and no progress between her and the rest of the pride, the zoo looked to find her a new home. That home turned out to be Big Cat Rescue.
Under the bright Floridian sun, with adoring caretakers to now look after her, Nikkita would live out her days pride-less but not alone. I find it tragic that an animal as beautiful as she never truly knew what it meant to be a lion- hunting and playing surrounded by her own kind- but I am honored to have looked after Nikita and to know that to the Queen, I was a friend.
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