text: When he was just three weeks old, Kibulu the African lion cub met Donna Wilson. Kibulu’s mother had rejected him in favour of his siblings and zoo keepers quickly decided it wasn’t safe for him to stay. So they called Donna from Zambi Wildlife Retreat in Western Sydney. ‘We named him Kibulu, which is Swahili for blue, because he had these unusual electric blue eyes when he arrived,’ Ms Wilson told Daily Mail Australia. Nine months later, and weighing close to 80 kilograms, Kibulu still shares Donna’s bed most nights. He still carries his teddy bear around with him and he loves to suck on people’s thumbs. ‘This morning he just wouldn’t get out of bed, he’s a total sook,’ she said. Scroll down for video . Zambi Wildlife Retreat fostered Kibulu as a three-week-old cub after his mother rejected him at the NSW Zoo where he was born . Kibulu greets one of the Zambi Wildlife Retreat directors, Traci Griffiths, at the centre in Western Sydney . Since he arrived at the retreat as a 3-week-old cub, Kibulu has slept most nights in director Donna's bed with 'Teddy' Zambi Wildlife Retreat's Donna Wilson with Kibulu, the orphaned nine-month-old African lion who has shared her bed since he arrived as a three-week-old cub . Kibulu is one of 23 lions in Donna’s care at Zambi Wildlife retreat, a sanctuary for retired, old, injured and homeless animals set on a 50 acre property south of Penrith in western Sydney. The retreat – which is not yet open to the public – is home to lions, tigers, monkeys, dingoes, parrots, rescued farm and domestic animals from all over Australia. 'Many of the animals already lived on the property and I've cared for them for  years’, says Wilson, who has worked in animal rescue and as a zoo keeper  in Australia and overseas for more than 20 years, as well as training big cats for film and television. She says zoos will often have surplus animals from their breeding programs or they might have too many males for an enclosure, who then start to fight like they would in the wild. Some of the animals at Zambi also starred in the movie industry in the days before  computer imaging and special effects. There are only two circuses in Australia – the Lennon Brothers and Stardust - that still use monkeys and lions in their tents. Donna says the laws around circus animals in Australia are especially tough. 'They're very well loved and cared-for animals and when we talk to them, they just want the best for their animals, for them to be spoilt when they  retire,' she says. ‘We’ll be given a lot of older animals, which is good because we can give them a good life here - it's literally like a retirement home for exotic animals. ‘We’re the first and only exotic animal retreat in Australia.' Just one of the pride: Kibulu and director Traci share a moment at the retreat . Australian supermodel Jennifer Hawkins celebrated her 31st birthday this year with one of the pride at Zambi Wildlife Retreat . Australian model Cheyenne Tozzi also took time out from her international modelling career recently to hang out with the cubs at Zambi . Zambi Wildlife Retreat (ZWR) is an entirely volunteer run non-profit organisation, set up by Donna and fellow directors Silke Bader and Traci Giffiths when they took over management of the property in 2012. Though not yet open to the public, over 20 students are currently completing work placements at Zambi as part of their Certificate III in Captive Animal Management at Tafe and universities. The organisation is in the process of applying for an exhibition license so that they can open the retreat  for public visits and offer Master classes in large carnivores for students in the future. ‘There are some things I can’t teach,’ says Wilson, who has been hospitalized more than a few times working with the big cats in the early years of her career. ‘It’s a feeling you get from the animals, you have to be able to read their signs –but that’s something you can only learn from experience,' she says. ‘What I can teach is how to look after these kind of animals the way they need to be looked after; I can offer practical placements where students can get the real experience, get close to the animals, observe them and really learn from them.’ One of Kibulu's favourite things to do is suck on people's thumbs. People can now support Zambi Wildlife Retreat by 'adopting' an animal like Kibulu or his best friend Mali, another adopted cub . Zambi Wildlife Retreat's Donna Wilson with Kibulu, the orphaned nine-month-old African lion . Donna Wilson hopes to eventually be able to open the retreat  for public visits and  to offer master classes in large carnivores for students . At nine-months old, Kibulu is already five times the strength and body weight of a person . Masai, who was born and hand-raised at the Zambi Wildlife Retreat . Donna Wilson has worked in animal rescue and as a zoo keeper  in Australia and overseas  for more than 20 years, as well as training big cats for the movie industry. Donna is pictured with Zoron, who came to Zambi Wildlife Retreat from a zoo at just three months old . Zambi Wildlife Retreat is the only home for old and retired exotic animals in Australia . Zambi Volunteer and Executive Assistant, Jack Bevin, with some of the dingoes rescued by the Sydney retreat . Special bond: Jack helped raise Zambi, a 'friendly' lioness who was born at the Sydney wildlife retreat . Zambi Wildlife Retreat is also home to exotic birds like peacocks and native Australian wildlife . The retreat also provides a rescue service for abused or neglected farm animals like horses, goats, donkeys and pigs . The retreat is expecting its electricity bills to go through the roof as it provides extra heating for some of its more delicate residents coming into winter . The centre is also looking to expand its facilities to include a native wildlife rehabilitation centre which it hopes will support the work of WIRES (Australia's Wildlife Information and Rescue Service) and attract international students for practical animal care placements in the future. ‘But all of this costs big bucks,’ Wilson says ‘All the money we receive is from donations and it all goes into the care of the animals. Ideally I want to rebuild all the animal enclosures but one new lion enclosure will cost us $70,000.’ For now, the public can support the retreat by adopting one of the animals in the Zambi pride like Kibulu or by becoming a paid member of the retreat. Kibulu and his best friend Mali, another  nine-month-old lion, will soon join  older sisters Zambi and Sukari in one of the facility's larger enclosures. But for now, while he's still happy to share a bed with his human mum, Donna says he’ll be allowed to continue sleeping in the big house. People can find out more about adopting an animal and supporting the retreat through the organisation's website www.zambiwildliferetreat.com.au. Up close and personal: Kibulu plants a big one on Zambi Wildlife Retreat director Traci Griffiths .
target: The Zambi Wildlife Retreat  is the only facility for retired exotic animals from zoos and the movie industry in Australia .
  The Sydney retreat is home to lions, tigers, monkeys and dingoes as well as rescued farm and domestic animals .
  The retreat is  hoping to raise money to expand its facilities so it can accept more animals and open a training centre .
  Although not yet open to the public, you can now 'adopt' one of the Zambi pride to support the non-profit facility .