Drakenstein Lion Park

Drakenstein Lion Park One of the very few true, ethical lion sanctuaries in South Africa - a safe haven for rescued lions. The Park receives no governmental or grant funding.

Drakenstein Lion Park provides rescued big cats with sanctuary and a safe haven. All of our rescued big cats are provided with lifetime care. No breeding, trade, or visitor-animal interaction takes place. The Park is situated on 60 sprawling acres of fit-for-purpose lion habitat in the scenic Cape Winelands and offers visitors not only the opportunity to visit the rescued big cats, but also to sup

port their care as well as to support the rescue of other big cats from abusive circumstances, as the Park is funded by visitors’ contributions. Drakenstein, established in 1998, is the longest-operating South African-owned big cat sanctuary, built, owned and run by the Hart family with their decades of hands-on experience in the rescue and provision of world-class care to previously abused and mistreated captive big cats. Drakenstein Lion Park is acclaimed for creating an ethical, non-intrusive and non-exploitative environment in which rescued big cats can be viewed by visitors without negative impact. Each rescue is treated as a sentient individual with care tailored to their unique psychological and physiological well-being. Our specialised care of previously abused captive big cats continues to evolve using our years of practical hands-on experience. The Park is not involved in commercial breeding or trade, and offers lifetime care to all of our animals. All the animals brought to the Park are captive-bred/hand-reared and cannot be rehabilitated to the wild. The animals at the Park are assured a chance of living out their natural lives in an enriched and safe environment.

Sweet Stuart, rescued from imprisonment in a private Lebanese zoo that had kept him chained to the ground in a barren co...
12/06/2026

Sweet Stuart, rescued from imprisonment in a private Lebanese zoo that had kept him chained to the ground in a barren concrete cage, has grown to become one of our most mellow lions since his rescue in 2019. It is very clear to see his joy in his behaviour, and which might be part of why he is one of our most popular rescues.

Stuart is certainly one of our most curious rescued lions, and loves keeping an eye on the goings on in our sanctuary. He has blossomed completely in our expert care, and seems to revel in the knowledge that he is completely safe and free to do as he pleases at his forever home in our sanctuary.

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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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Simba and Sara are an absolute joy to watch, especially when they are being hooligans with each other and running – or, ...
08/06/2026

Simba and Sara are an absolute joy to watch, especially when they are being hooligans with each other and running – or, in this case, rolling – around in their spacious enclosure. These two are completely settled and calm with each other, and have a wonderfully playful bond.

Sara was rescued from a criminal lion seller in Lebanon who had brutally scarred and abused her, treating her as nothing but a prop. Despite everything she suffered, including being frighteningly close to bombed areas, she is a confident and happy lioness.

Simba is yet another lion rescued from the illegal pet trade in Lebanon. He was surrendered by his owner to Animals Lebanon so that he can live out his life with the respect, dignity, care, and space he deserves at our sanctuary. Simba has recovered fantastically from the rough start to his life.

Sara and Simba’s adoption pages can be found on our website for those who would like to contribute to their care costs by sponsoring them through our adoption programme.

As a genuine sanctuary, we do not and will never allow any public interaction with our rescued big cats, and are strongly opposed to that exploitative practice.
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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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We are heartbroken to inform you that Brutus, our gentle giant, has passed away.Brutus had been battling cancer for a wh...
03/06/2026

We are heartbroken to inform you that Brutus, our gentle giant, has passed away.

Brutus had been battling cancer for a while, and although we did everything possible to make his time comfortable, the end was inevitable.

Brutus had been spending most of his time in his shelter last week. Late last Friday afternoon, he made his way out to lie down in front of my dad (the man who had rescued and cared for him for the past 16 and a half years), gave one final roar as a fond goodbye, and returned to his shelter, where he peacefully passed away a short while later.

Brutus was surrounded by the love of his girls, Nala, Athena, and Juno, who never left his side in his final days, as well as the love of us who had cared for him since the beginning of his happy life at our sanctuary.

His presence will truly be missed by all of us.

Ozzy and Sharon, now just over a year old, are huge fans of all the varied environmental enrichment in their enclosure! ...
29/05/2026

Ozzy and Sharon, now just over a year old, are huge fans of all the varied environmental enrichment in their enclosure! They seem to be inspired by Stuart’s love for climbing up against his trees, which they did their best to replicate here.
These two siblings were confiscated from an illegal zoo in Lebanon that was abusing them as photo props, letting them be pawed at by the public without a second of thought for their wellbeing or needs. Videos of them being beaten at the zoo also surfaced.

Despite all they went through prior to being rescued, these two are loving life in our expert care that is tailored to their exact needs.

They were in poor condition when they were discovered, weighing a mere seven kilograms each, but began their journey to recovery with Animals Lebanon before making their way to our true sanctuary for rescued big cats, where we will continue to provide expert care to them for the rest of their natural lives.

As an ethical safe haven, we do not and will never allow any public interaction with our lions, and are strongly opposed to that exploitative practice.
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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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Issam and Kelly always keep a keen eye on us from their management enclosure while we clean their main camp, in between ...
26/05/2026

Issam and Kelly always keep a keen eye on us from their management enclosure while we clean their main camp, in between showing off to our white lions how much they have grown since moving in next door. Issam’s curly mane is beginning to show that he is no longer a cub, and Kelly is definitely keeping up with how much her brother continues to grow since their rescue in 2023.

Issam and Kelly were confiscated from illegal smugglers who had crammed them into tiny plastic crates and left them to suffer soaked in their own urine. Issam arrived with mobility issues in his back legs because of the smugglers’ abuse, but has recovered fully with our effort, care, and expertise.

You can adopt Issam and Kelly on our website to contribute to their care costs.
As an ethical, genuine sanctuary, we do not and will never allow any public interaction with any of our rescued big cats, and are strongly opposed to that exploitative practice.
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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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Little Leo has changed massively since being rescued in late 2011, but it is clear to see that he is still a cub at hear...
20/05/2026

Little Leo has changed massively since being rescued in late 2011, but it is clear to see that he is still a cub at heart! He is certainly our strangest lion, but is completely happy and fulfilled, as you can see here. He has fully warmed to the orange ball we gave to him earlier this year and has integrated it into his routine very healthily, sometimes even playing with it before feeding time.

Little Leo was rescued from confinement on a 14th-floor apartment balcony in central Beirut – undeniably a highly unsuitable, and dangerous, environment for a lion. Lions that fall victim to the illegal pet trade often do not survive past a year because of the abuse, malnutrition, and neglect they suffer in inappropriate conditions. Although the start of his life affected him significantly, he is now happy to do as he pleases in our safe haven for rescued big cats.
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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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Pi and Freya, now nearly two and a half years old, did us proud and were completely unfazed by the severe storms that ba...
15/05/2026

Pi and Freya, now nearly two and a half years old, did us proud and were completely unfazed by the severe storms that battered our province earlier this week. Pi especially was incredibly skittish for months after his rescue – something that is very understandable given the abuse he suffered prior to being rescued – which makes it all the more special to see these two flourishing in our expert care.

Pythagoras was rescued from atrocious abuse at the hands of a social media influencer who posted videos of himself dragging Pi along the ground by the neck on a chain – clearly massively distressed – as well as tied up to be passed around a crowd as nothing but a prop.
Freya was surrendered to Animals Lebanon so that she could find refuge at our true sanctuary for rescued big cats.

Pi and Freya were both rescued from horrendous circumstances in Lebanon in 2024, and despite all they went through prior to being rescued, have found serenity and peace with each other.

To contribute to our rescues’ care costs, you can adopt them through our website or visit our sanctuary.

Many thanks go to Animals Lebanon, Animal Travel Services, and Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society International) for their help in allowing us to improve the lives of more rescued lions.
As an ethical sanctuary, we do not and will never allow any public interaction with our lions, and are strongly opposed to such exploitative practices.

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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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Brutus, Nala, Juno and Athena, our pride of white lions, have fantastic bonds with one another. Nala has recently been q...
11/05/2026

Brutus, Nala, Juno and Athena, our pride of white lions, have fantastic bonds with one another. Nala has recently been quite playful with Brutus and Juno – Athena prefers playing rough with Juno when she does play – and can occasionally be seen pouncing on them when they run around together! Although Brutus and Nala run a tad more slowly at their age, these four still have a blast together when they are not busy relaxing and soaking up the sunshine together – often with Brutus lying on his back.

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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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07/05/2026

Ozzy and Sharon, our most recent rescues, are having an absolute ball with their new ball! After being donated by a generous member of the public, we decided that the ball would be a great fit for Ozzy and Sharon. They are now just over a year old, and have settled wonderfully into the safety of sanctuary life with us.

Ozzy and Sharon were confiscated from an illegal zoo in Lebanon that was abusing them as photo props, letting them be pawed at by the public without a second of thought for their wellbeing or needs. Videos of them being beaten at the zoo also surfaced.

Despite all they went through prior to being rescued, these two are loving life in our expert care that is tailored to their exact needs.

They were in poor condition when they were discovered, weighing a mere seven kilograms each, but began their journey to recovery with Animals Lebanon before making their way to our true sanctuary for rescued big cats, where we will continue to provide expert care to them for the rest of their natural lives.

As an ethical safe haven, we do not and will never allow any public interaction with our lions, and are strongly opposed to that exploitative practice.

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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.

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Awesome Asad, one of our masters of camouflage, was rescued from abuse and imprisonment in central Beirut in 2012. He ha...
01/05/2026

Awesome Asad, one of our masters of camouflage, was rescued from abuse and imprisonment in central Beirut in 2012. He has come out of his shell fully in our expert care – a testament to the many benefits of sanctuary care for rescued lions.
He seems to have added this spot to his list of favourite places in his spacious enclosure, and has been soaking up the dappled sunlight in it over the last few days. Although rather odd, Asad is a wonderfully happy lion, and a joy to care for.

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We are open daily from 09:30 to 17:00.
Our big cat feeding times are Mon/Wed/Fri at 16:00.
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Address

Drakenstein Lion Park, Old Paarl Road, Paarl South
Paarl
7625

Opening Hours

Monday 09:30 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:30 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:30 - 17:00
Thursday 09:30 - 17:00
Friday 09:30 - 17:00
Saturday 09:30 - 17:00
Sunday 09:30 - 17:00

Telephone

+27218633290

Website

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