Manuschka was born on 2nd August 2019, at a private big cat facility in France. She was sold along with her half-brother, to a German circus when they were just three months old. Sadly her companion passed away suddenly. The circus was urged by veterinary authorities to find a suitable home for lonely lioness Manuschka, as she needed an organisation capable of socialising her. Following negotiations and assurances from the circus that they would no longer use lions in their shows, Manuschka was voluntarily transferred to the care of FOUR PAWS in July 2024, and temporarily moved to their sanctuary TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary, in Germany.

​

During the first days of her stay at TIERART, Manuschka quickly formed an important bond with the sanctuary's animal caretakers. As she adjusted to her temporary outdoor enclosure and became acquainted with new enrichment materials, the lioness bravely began exploring her new life outside the circus. In the months that followed, TIERART prepared the lioness as best as possible for the move to FELIDA. They conducted daily positive reinforcement training with her. This was done to familiarise Manuschka with the transport crate* in advance, so that she didn't need sedation before being placed in the crate for her journey to FELIDA. In October 2024 after a smooth 7-hour drive, Manuschka finally arrived at FELIDA. She initially needed time to adjust to her new surroundings, but after a short adjustment period, Manuschka was released into her brand-new outdoor enclosure. Unlike other big cats, lions are very social animals. At FELIDA, Manuschka is able to interact with other lions and will hopefully be socialised in the future. Positive reinforcement training will continue for Manuschka, building upon the training she received at TIERART in Germany. These training sessions provide mental stimulation and encourage natural behaviour, they also serve as a basis for medical training, allowing the specialist team at FELIDA to closely monitor her health.

​​

​​​​The proceeds from Manuschka's portrait are shared with FELIDA Big Cat Sancuary. For more information on this amazing sanctuary, please visit www.felida-bigcatsanctuary.org/nl

​

* Special transport crate training is done to reduce stress during transport. It has also been noted that animals adjust to their new home more calmly and easily.