Antwerp Zoo’s Lion King Nestor is set to move to the Bellewaerde Animal and Amusement Park in West Flanders. Once there it is hoped that he will mate with Bellewaerde’s two lionesses. Nestor has spent the past 12 years at the Zoo. This will come to an end though next week when he heads just over 130 kilometres west to Bellewaerde that is located near to the West Flemish town of Ieper.
The international breeding programme of which both Antwerp Zoo and Bellewaerde are a part has decided that it is time for Nestor to move on.
After 12 years caring for Nestor, his departure will take some getting used to for the zoo keepers that work at Antwerp Zoo’s lion enclosure. One of the keepers, Amanda Wielemans told VRT News that “It brings a lump to our throats, but we are trying to think of the greater good”. And that “greater good” is breeding. “His species is threatened with extinction and this means that Nestor is important”. At Bellewaerde Nestor will enjoy the company of two lionesses. "The aim is for them to breed."
Amanda Wielemans added that being without Nestor will take a lot of getting used to as she and the other keepers have been looking after him all his life. "But his leaving also makes us proud because he is so important for the survival of his species”.
In 2020 Nestor was introduced to two new lionesses, Tasa and Kira at Antwerp Zoo. While he got on well with Tasa from the outset, Nestor wasn’t at all fond of Kira and the lioness was sent to a zoo in Norway.