Zoos shouldn’t house large wild cats, especially in small cages with cold concrete flooring.
This is why seeing these lions be given a second chance at life is so heartwarming.
Five lions were saved from a Romanian zoo that had closed in October 2015. They were born in 2003 in Italy and had been moved only to amuse tourists.
These magnificent big cats were given the freedom they so well deserve because of Four Paws International, an animal welfare organization that specializes in saving mistreated animals.
In appalling shape
Iona Dugler, Director of Wild Animals at Four Paws, explained, “A zoo was closed and the five lions had nowhere to go.”
Thankfully, the group became aware of the predicament and intervened to save the animals, releasing them from the small cages in which they had been kept for an excessive amount of time.
The lions’ health suffered as a result of the years they spent in these conditions.
According to Iona Dugler, “the veterinarian who cared for them didn’t want to give up and didn’t accept the possibility that these animals will be put to sleep.”
In order to get the lions to their new home at Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa, Four Paws had to travel more than 15,000 miles (12,337 km). They are now free to roam about in the thousands of acres of lush grass here.
The lions joined 80 other large cats who were saved from substandard habitats across the globe.
The lions have a lot of room to roam around, and they also get regular medical attention and wholesome food, which will help them live long, robust lives.
See the cooperation required to move the lions to their new habitat in the video below. Catch the lions as they enjoy their first day under the warm South African sun, feel the grass under their paws, and take in the clean African air!
The lions were finally allowed to live in their natural habitat after decades of being kept in filthy, cramped cages behind iron bars.
