LeoInitiative

Lions have always been a big part of our brand and culture, so supporting them is a natural fit. Set up in 2017, LeoInitiative is our longest-standing CSR project: we fund the care of two rescued lions, Bruno and Omar and every year we send a group of employees to volunteer at The Lions Foundation in South Africa.

WHY LIONS NEED SUPPORT

Africa’s wild lion population has fallen by 43% in two decades, and fewer than 25,000 remain (WWF). Thousands more are held in captivity, in circuses, private homes, struggling animal parks and zoos in war zones. Stichting Leeuw, a big cat shelter in the Netherlands, rescues these animals and brings them to safety and The Lions Foundation rehabilitates them and gives them a permanent home.

For more information visit The Lions Foundation & Stichting Leeuw

MEET BRUNO AND OMAR

Bruno and Omar are brothers from the same litter, born in captivity at a circus in Slovakia. Both spent their early years in cages before Stichting Leeuw rescued them in 2015.

We adopted the brothers in 2017. They now live at The Lions Foundation in the Schrikkloof Private Nature Reserve, South Africa, on 700 hectares of land that mirrors their natural habitat. Our sponsorship covers their food and daily care.

Omar was bought as a cub and kept as a caged pet. When his owner fled the country, a relative tried to sell him. Animal rights activists alerted Stichting Leeuw, who rescued him in March 2015. He recovered from his injuries and malnourishment, and today he lives with his mate, Mahli.

Bruno was kept in an outdoor cage. When his owner died, the owner’s wife contacted Stichting Leeuw, who collected him in April 2015. He showed signs of stress and abuse, but has since recovered and now shares the reserve with his mate, Ziera.

OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

Every November, a group of LeoVegas Group employees spends a week at The Lions Foundation as LeoInitiative ambassadors. They work alongside the sanctuary team on whatever needs doing: preparing food for the animals, maintaining fences and enclosures, setting camera traps, running enrichment activities and helping with building projects. They then share what they’ve learned with colleagues across the Group.