Rescue Lions Ivan and Cornel
The brothers from Belgrade Zoo now live their best lives at LIONSROCK
Lions Ivan and Cornel arrived at LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary from Serbia on 25 September 2012.
The brothers, born at Belgrade Zoo in 2008, were acquired by a private keeper in 2009, before national legislation prohibiting the possession of wild animals by private persons came into force in 2012. Due to the substandard conditions in which the animals were kept and the potential risk to the public, Ivan and Cornel were confiscated by the Serbian authorities.
Due to there being no adequate space in existing zoos or specialised rescue centres to accommodate the lions in Serbia, the Serbian authorities contacted FOUR PAWS for their assistance.
Farewell, Lion Ivan
It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news that our beloved 16-year-old lion Ivan passed away in August 2025. A postmortem exam later revealed that he suffered from a liver tumour.
