Amra, Arandas, Muhawish and Khawla were transferred to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary on 9 April 2010 and later socialised with another male lion, Saba’a who arrived at LIONSROCK on 24 June 2010.

In early 2010, two males and 2 females lion cubs were rescued at the Jordanian border after authorities intercepted an attempted smuggling operation. The cubs, believed to have been born in December 2009, were being transported in a small cat kennel—likely on a route from Syria to Saudi Arabia through Jordan. Confiscated by the Customs Department and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, the young lions were taken to the New Hope Centre in Jordan. Upon arrival, they were nervous and unsettled, showing signs of the stress they had endured.

One of the lions, Saba’a, had a different but equally difficult beginning. Born in September 2009, he was confiscated from a Jordanian zoo before FOUR PAWS stepped in to give him a better future. Thanks to the rescue efforts, Saba’a was eventually relocated to South Africa. 

Sadly, Saba’a’s unexpected passed away in 2021. Later, Amra passed away in October 2024 and  Muhawish had to be euthanised in May 2025.