Sebastian is the second largest animal at Carolina Tiger Rescue. He weighs 475 pounds! Though Sebastian is the largest lion in the sanctuary and was the largest in his pride, he would let Sheba, his old enclosure-mate, boss him around. Sheba passed on July 19, 2019. Sebastian is a pretty laid-back lion who enjoys napping in the sun and sometimes is too lazy to even get up and eat. Sebastian loves to destroy boxes and will often lounge on them to flatten them down as far as they will go!
How Sebastian Came to the Sanctuary
Sebastian was originally used in a haunted house in Texas. He, along with tigers, bears, and wolves, was used as part of the décor in the haunted house. His owner died prematurely and left his animals in his parents' care and they decided not to keep the big cats and bears and sent the animals to the Wild Animal Orphanage (WAO) in Texas. WAO shut down in 2010 and over 300 animals had to be rehomed. Carolina Tiger Rescue rescued ten animals, including three lions and seven tigers.
Personality
Sebastian is typically a laid-back lion who loves to spend his days sleeping. He loved to let Sheba, his old enclosure-mate, run the show and would just follow her lead. Typically, the male lion is the dominant one in a pride. However, due to him being neutered, Sebastian was second in command to Sheba.
Description
Sebastian is known for his large size. He is the largest of all our lions at Carolina Tiger Rescue, weighing in at almost 500 pounds. He does not have his mane because he is neutered. When a male lion is neutered, they lose their mane because they lose their ability to make testosterone.
Where in Sanctuary
Sebastian lives on tour on Oak Hill and is flanked on one side by Roman and Reina Lion and on the other side by India, Carolina, and Caprichio Tiger.
Wild Animals in Entertainment
Wild animals, like Sebastian, that end up in entertainment rarely lead a life of luxury. Sebastian was used in a haunted house in Texas for the first part of his life. We are unsure of what his role in the haunted house was, but we can be certain it was not a safe environment for Sebastian. Wild animals in entertainment are often mistreated, underfed, and overworked. These are animals that are meant to be living in natural habitats, like on the savannas of Africa, rather than on a sound stage surrounded by loud noises, bright lights, and lots of people.
Carolina Tiger Rescue is against all forms of wild animals in entertainment. With the technology that is around today, it is difficult for us to see why real wild animals need to be used when the computer generated images of them are so life-like and do not provide a dangerous environment for the animal or the people around them. In the movie Life of Pi, a real tiger was used for several scenes. This tiger almost drowned on set. These animals are unpredictable and deserve to be respected as wild animals.
Panthera leo
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