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Kasanga is the majestic and magnificent lion who is now the face of The Big Cat Sanctuary
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He was born into the circus in France before moving to Woburn Safari Park
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The strength and power of this awesome cat is regularly on display - Kasanga loves enrichment and enjoys barrels, pole feeds, and new scents
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Kasanga regularly takes his toys into his den area to his bed!
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Kasanga sired cubs at Woburn Safari Park, but was separated from them as the lionesses became more protective
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Kasanga now spends his days lounging on his high platform, happy to take hand feeds if the mood takes him!
Kasanga arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary from Woburn Safari Park in 2017. He’d begun his life in the circus and had already sired cubs. His majestic posing and outstanding looks are complemented by a very warm and cheeky nature. He steals the hearts of all who meet him!
It’s unusual for Kasanga not to greet visitors to his enclosure by getting up to see what’s happening, or to check out if there just maybe a treat coming his way. On his hind legs, Kasanga stands at an incredible height – towering over our tallest guests, yet retaining his gentle manner when taking hand feeds. He’s also proved himself to be quite the cover boy – he is as photogenic as he is handsome, one truly magnificent lion!
Adopt KasangaThe lions at The Big Cat Sanctuary show many of the behaviours they would in the wild. Typically they will spend 16-20+ hours a day asleep! Lions won’t expend energy unless they have to. When they are active, they can be seen walking along the edges of their enclosure. This is simply territorial pacing, a normal behaviour in which males will patrol the edges of their territory, whatever size the area might be. Studies of lions roaring suggest that the purpose of the roar can be a territorial display, a spacing mechanism, a way of ensuring the group stays together, or a combination of all three. Regardless of the purpose, a lion’s roar is a very impressive sound that can travel as far as five miles.
Wild lions often come across smells that are new and unfamiliar. To replicate this, we add new scents to the enclosures ourselves, such as household herbs and perfumes, to stimulate the cats and give them something to interact with. We also add boxes and bags (always made of natural materials) to give the cats things to play with and destroy!
These iconic animals have powerful bodies weighing between 265 to 420 pounds. Lion roars can be heard from 5 miles or 8km away. An adult lion’s coat is yellow-gold, the juveniles have some light spots which generally disappear with age. Only male lions typically boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads.
Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides—though there is one population of solitary lions. Prides are family units that may comprise anywhere from two to 40 lions—including up to to three or four males, a dozen or so females, and their young.
Lions can hunt even the largest prey – buffalo, giraffe, and even juvenile elephants. However, they predominantly prey upon medium-sized wildlife, such as wildebeest, zebra and impala.
The vast majority of lions live in sub-Saharan Africa. The current world population is estimated to be less than 20,000 – down from as many as 200,000 in 1900. Lions are threatened by the illegal trade in meat and other body parts, habitat loss, and conflict with humans due to the real or perceived threat that lions pose to livestock.