Lion that spent its entire life in a cage walks on grass for the first time
It is great as a kid to go to the circus and look at all of the animals. Little do we realize the life of captivity that circus animals live, many never knowing the freedom of their kind in the wilderness. That freedom finally came for one group of lions in Guatemala.
Rescued from the circus
The group of five lions had lived their entire lives locked in a cage.
They were only let out when it was time to perform for the crowd and then their freedom consisted of time in a ring in front of a crowd. Recent legislation in Guatemala changed all of that.
Guatemalan lawmakers recently put in place a ban on the use of animals in circuses.
As a part of this ban, the lions were taken in by Animal Defenders International (ADI) and sent to a temporary rescue center the organization had built for them.
Along with the five lions, nine tigers had also been rescued.
Two of the lions, Tarzan and Tanya, were featured in a video that detailed the day the lions were released into the shelter.
And, probably for the first time in their lives, the two lions touched grass, though it was touch and go at first.
Tanya was the first of the two to step out of the transport cage.
As she padded out into the spacious enclosure, Tarzan cautiously walked out behind her. Even though the space was more than big enough for them both, he seemed wary about the newness of the situation.
Eventually, Tarzan started to grow accustomed to his temporary home.
Plus, he had Tanya there to protect him, which made the whole situation way easier to adjust to.
Tarzan was also suffering from an infected tooth, and the medical team did what they could for the lion to help alleviate his pain.
Soon after, the two lions were acting like the big kittens that they were, free of the worry of ever having to live in a cage ever again.
The lions were later sent to their permanent home, a sanctuary in South Africa.
Traveling by airplane, they had to make four stops before finally reaching their new home.
Much bigger than their previous temporary home, the lions now have all of the space that they need in a safe environment.
It also helps that Tarzan and Tanya have each other to rely on.
Watch the incredible moment in the video below!
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