HOW THIS ALL STARTED
It all started with a love of animals. When I say a love of animals, I do mean all animals!
A long, long time ago an average family living on a farm came home to a surprise. You will never guess what it was. Nico came home holding his hands behind his back, saying he bought a lion! You know kids, they thought the lion could be behind his back, since he had done this before but with a cute Jack Russell puppy. What he had in his hands was not a lion cub, but the key to a gate where a lioness was kept. With this being a BIG surprise, no one was prepared. No enclosures were even built yet. Jessie, already about 1 and a half years old at the time, became their first lion. Nico's wife Karen, being a perfectionist, did all she could. She even got a formula for lion cub milk. Not long after Jessie, Nico and Karen bought the male that was in the same enclosure with her, Seun. Enclosures were built and all was ready for them to be moved over on our farm. Everything started from there, from lion cubs to random people driving in on a Sunday to see the lions. Weltevrede was not yet open to the public, or at that time planning on being, yet so it started. More and more people came to see the lions. Owners, still with the love of all animals, have had animals ranging from meerkats to porcupines, a little deer, a striped polecat (muishond), caracals (rooikat) and many more living in their home at different times. Each animal with a name and lots of love. Just like that, Weltevrede Leeuplaas/Lion Farm was born and is still standing strong as the family business you know and love.
