Achee and Ma Juah

Two Lovely Lionesses

Achee (“Ah-kee”), born in 1999, and Ma Juah, born in 1996, are young lionesses who live at Born Free's big-cat sanctuary at Shamwari Wildlife Reserve in southern South Africa. Here in their large bush enclosure – the size of a football stadium – the girls now enjoy life. Sadly, they would never survive on their own, but at Shamwari, they enjoy the next-closest thing to freedom: being surrounded by wild Africa.

Similar Stories in Different Places

Achee used to live in the forecourt of the Cypriot Consulate at Bucharest. She was just a few days old when she was taken from her mother to be used as a prop in photographs with tourists. The Cypriot consul took pity on the tiny cub and bought her from the photographer when she was six weeks old. Thinking the cub was male, the consul named her Achilles after the Greek god.

Achee was much-loved by her new owner, but it is extremely difficult to care for a wild animal, and her diet was deficient in important minerals. Because of this, she suffered problems: her head twitched from side to side, her legs and back were out of proportion to her body, and her gait was unbalanced. Despite this, Achee was a mischievous young lion and enjoyed rough-and-tumble games with her handler. But because of her environment and diet, it was likely she would suffer painful arthritis. Born Free knew she needed to be in more natural surroundings, far away from the long, cold winters of Romania.

Meanwhile, in Liberia, Ma Juah (which means 'mother') lived alone in a compound in Monrovia. She and her brother were kept as pets by the dictator Charles Taylor, Liberia's ex-president. Taylor fled the country in 2003 and callously abandoned the two lions. The pair went without food for 24 days, and Ma Juah's brother starved to death. She was discovered by kind aid workers who did their best to feed Ma Juah and contacted Born Free about her plight. Like Achee, Ma Juah has neural and skeletal problems due to her impoverished early diet.

Getting a Chance at a New Life (and a new friend, too)

In 2004, Born Free brought Ma Juah and Achee to a new life in Shamwari, where they have a new home and loving care. Here, they have become friends and grown much stronger, though their disabilities mean they will always “wobble.”

Sadly, lions and other big cats face many threats due to human activity. Captive animals are exploited in zoos and circuses; wild cats are killed for their beautiful fur and body parts. But through their adoption, Brady Communications is helping provide Achee and Ma Juah's daily care and protecting big cats worldwide.