Drakenstein Lion Park provides rescued big cats with sanctuary and a safe haven.

All of our rescued big cats are provided with lifetime care. No breeding, trade, or visitor-animal interaction takes place.

The Park is situated on 60 sprawling acres of fit-for-purpose lion habitat in the scenic Cape Winelands and offers visitors not only the opportunity to visit the rescued big cats, but also to support their care as well as to support the rescue of other big cats from abusive circumstances, as the Park is funded by visitors’ contributions. The Park receives no governmental or grant funding.

Drakenstein, established in 1998, is the longest-operating South African-owned big cat sanctuary, built, owned and run by the Hart family with their decades of hands-on experience in the rescue and provision of world-class care to previously abused and mistreated captive big cats.

Drakenstein Lion Park is acclaimed for creating an ethical, non-intrusive and non-exploitative environment in which rescued big cats can be viewed by visitors without negative impact. Each rescue is treated as a sentient individual with care tailored to their unique psychological and physiological well-being.  Our specialised care of previously abused captive big cats continues to evolve using our years of practical hands-on experience.