Farewell to Abudullah - 31/01/2006 - 22/04/2026
22 April 2026
Today, Lionhearts is heartbroken to announce the peaceful passing of Abdullah at 1.11pm.
He was curious. He was calm. He was regal in the way that only a lion can be - unhurried, present, utterly sure of himself. And he was friendly, in a way that caught you off guard, that made you stop and just look at him. People who met Abdullah didn't forget him. He was, by every account, divine.
Shikira, Cleo, Timba, and Themba will miss calling out to their son, brother and buddy.
Abdullah and four other lions were facing euthanasia when the land they called home was put up for sale. Private investors stepped in and secured the land, and Lionhearts was formed - a dedicated group committed to managing the sanctuary and protecting these lions for the rest of their natural lives.
In his final months, Abdullah was fed well, given medicine, and surrounded by carers who saw him for what he had always been. He knew he was safe. He knew he was loved.
Lionhearts carries it forward - continuing to care for Shikira, Cleo, Timba and Themba, the other lions at the sanctuary, and raising their voices for legislative change to end private exotic animal ownership in New Zealand. There is no need for animals like these to be born in captivity and no animal should arrive at the end of their life having been failed by the people responsible for them.
Abdullah deserved better. So do all the animals who come after him.