Zoos should not keep huge wild cats, particularly in cramped cages with cold concrete floors.
This is why it is so satisfying to see these lions given another chance at life.
A Romanian zoo, which had closed in October 2015, rescued five lions. They were born in Italy in 2003 and relocated solely to entertain tourists.
Four Paws International, an animal welfare group that specializes in rescuing abused animals, granted these gorgeous big cats the freedom they so well deserve.
The five lions had nowhere to go when the zoo closed, according to Iona Dugler, Director of Wild Animals at Four Paws.
Fortunately, the organization realized the situation and took action to save the animals, freeing them from the small cages in which they had spent a long time.
The lions’ health deteriorated as a result of their years spent in these conditions.
“The veterinarian who cared for them didn’t want to give up and didn’t accept the possibility that these animals would put to sleep,” according to Dugler.
To transport 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 kilometers). They may now graze freely across the thousands of acres of beautiful grass here.
The lions joined 80 other large cats that the world’s rescuers had saved from poor habitats.
The lions have plenty of space to roam, and they receive regular medical treatment and nutritious food, allowing them to enjoy long, healthy lives.
The video below shows the collaboration necessary to transport the lions to their new habitat. Catch the lions as they enjoy their first day under the warm South African sun, feel the grass beneath their paws, and breathe the fresh African air!
After decades of being imprisoned in filthy, tight cages behind iron bars, the lions were eventually released into their natural home.
