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It was 'Home Sweet Home' for Simba, the lion, after her
disappearance from the circus which was performing in
Singapore. It brought a happy ending to a frightening
adventure. Simba, a two-year-old African cat escaped from Happyland
Circus on the morning of 20 December and spent the next
one week roaming the secondary forests in Pulau Ubin,
one of the off-shore islands of Singapore. Villagers
living on that peaceful and tranquil island immediately
alerted the police when they first sighted the animal
near a swamp. A search team was sent to track her down.
Their efforts proved futile as the thick undergrowth and
lush forestry hampered their movements. The weather
failed to help either as it had been raining and the
forest was flooded.
A helicopter was used in the search. The pilot
identified a few dry spots in the forest. Trackers moved
in and finally found the lion hidden in the tract of
secondary forest. One of the trackers said, "It was my
first time hunting a lion and I hope it will be my last.
I have never come face to face with a wild animal
before. Simba is really huge and looks fierce. I shot
her with a tranquilizer dart. It was some time before
the drug worked and I thought she was going to pounce on
me. I was scared out of my wits."
Game officers and zoo-keepers helped the police to carry
the 200kg animal out of the forest and returned her to
the circus. Simba's trainer was glad to have her found.
However, it remains a mystery as to how she ended up on
the island. |
