Yahoo – AFP, Moises Avila, April 30, 2016
Lima (AFP) - More than 30 lions rescued from abuse in Peruvian and Colombian circuses were flown Friday to South Africa, in what campaigners called the largest-ever airlift of big cats.
The lions, with names such as Zeus and Shakira, were freed after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru in 2011 and Colombia in 2013 (AFP Photo/Cris Bouroncle) |
Lima (AFP) - More than 30 lions rescued from abuse in Peruvian and Colombian circuses were flown Friday to South Africa, in what campaigners called the largest-ever airlift of big cats.
The 33
lions, with names such as Zeus and Shakira, were freed after the use of wild
animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru in 2011 and Colombia in 2013.
The
Colombian circuses gave up the
lions voluntarily but police had to launch
raids
to free the lions in Peru (AFP
Photo/Cris Bouroncle)
|
"It's
truly wonderful that these lions, after a lifetime of suffering and abuse in
circuses, are going home to Africa," said the president of ADI, Jan
Creamer.
"All
of the lions when they arrive from the circuses have health problems,
parasites, disease," she added.
"All
of their lives they haven't had enough food, so they have long-term
malnutrition problems."
Recent
months have been spent in straw-lined cages in a refuge north of Lima, however,
they have been well fed and are in generally good health, Creamer said.
Twenty-four
lions rescued in Peru were driven from their temporary rescue center to Lima
airport to be picked up by a cargo plane that brought another nine over from
Colombia.
Late
Friday, the airlift took off, transporting the big cats to their new life.
"We
are on our way!" read a post on the ADI website.
"The
33 lions are on board the ADI Spirit Of Freedom Flight, on route to their
wonderful new lives at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, South Africa."
Graphic,
including map, illustrating how lions from circuses in Peru and
Colombia are to
be released into a game park in South Africa (AFP Photo/
Tamara Hoha)
|
The
contingent of big cats includes Shakira, named after the Colombian pop singer.
Her minders say she likes to play with a tire and eat watermelons.
From one of
10 Peruvian circuses comes "Ricardo, the one-eyed lion" and from
another "Joseph, the almost-blind lion."
'Heading
home to paradise'
Together,
the 33 were to take a 15-hour flight to South Africa in travel cages inside the
plane chartered by ADI.
They will
arrive on Saturday in Johannesburg and be taken on to the Emoya Big Cat
Sanctuary in the north of the country.
"The
lions will be in their natural habitat for the first time in their lives,"
Creamer said. "They should fit right into that habitat. It's the best
environment for them."
ADI says it
is the biggest transfer of such large captive animals ever.
In the
circuses the lions were poorly fed and trucked around in cages, the group said.
The Colombian circuses gave up the nine lions voluntarily but police had to
launch raids to free the lions in Peru.
The
rescuers say that one of the Peru contingent, Smith, attacked a teacher from a
school party when she was invited into his cage by a lion tamer.
"Almost
all of the rescued lions have been mutilated to remove their claws, one has
lost an eye, another is almost blind, and many have smashed and broken teeth so
would not survive in the wild," ADI said in a statement.
At their
new home, "the lions will enjoy large natural enclosures situated in
pristine African bush, complete with drinking pools, platforms and toys,"
it added.
"The
lion habitats will be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions
become familiar with their new life and are introduced to each other."
The cost of
the transfer is $10,000 per cat, ADI said.
"These
lions have endured hell on earth," Creamer said.
"Now
they are heading home to paradise."
Related Article:
Abused circus lions flown to new home in South African bush
As the final lion boarded, we were ready to fly! https://t.co/saoaOdVjMh #lionsbacktoAfrica pic.twitter.com/2ZStgRJnEn— ADI (@AnimalDefenders) April 29, 2016
Related Article:
Abused circus lions flown to new home in South African bush
#SpiritOfFreedomFlight is cleared for takeoff and we're off! Simba is taking a nap! https://t.co/saoaOdVjMh pic.twitter.com/eVrUB9Yq6Q— ADI (@AnimalDefenders) April 29, 2016
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