A Rescue Organization Completed A Two-Year Undercover Investigation And Successfully Saved More Than 30 Circus Animals

The Animal Defenders International flew the rescued animals to a South African sanctuary in this daring mission

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• September 27, 2022

Wild animals face a lot of dangers in the wilderness and given the state of our planet, they are fighting to survive harder than ever. The biggest threat to their existence remains to be us — humans.

These animals are being hunted for sport, their hides, skin, and tusks. If that was not enough, some of them are being captured for entertainment.

It is believed that the practice of "training" animals for entertainment started during the Roman empire. Elephants, lions, monkeys, and tigers are some of the most featured animals in these 18th-century circuses.

It is only recently that we have collectively decided that the atrocities committed against these animals should be stopped. Organizations and foundations have been working tirelessly to lobby governments to pass legislation against traveling circuses that feature trained wild animals.

One of these organizations is Animal Defenders International. They started their mission in 2007 to rescue circus animals in Peru and Colombia.

They carefully collected evidence that documented the abuse and suffering the animals go through at the circus. The public outcry following the release of the evidence forced governments to ban wild animals from being used as entertainment.

With the help of the Peruvian and Colombian authorities, ADI successfully rescued 33 lions and monkeys. The next hurdle is to fly them to the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa.

The mission in Peru and Colombia was tagged as Operation Spirit of Freedom

33 circus lions were rescued from horrendous conditions

They were all born and raised in captivity

These lions suffered at the hands of human beings. Most of them were missing some teeth and were declawed which means they will never survive living in the wild.

Soon enough, the freedom project expanded to other Latin American countries

The rescued Guatemalan lions, similar to the Peruvian and Colombian lions, were held at a temporary ADI sanctuary before being flown to South Africa

They were placed in secured cages before the 34-hour flight

Their first layover was in Belgium

It was too cold when the doors opened so the volunteers placed blankets over the cages to keep the lions and tigers warm

They changed planes in Doha before flying to South Africa

This marks a new beginning for the abused animals

Compared to what they have been through

The drive to the ADI sanctuary lasted just a short while

Their caretakers are also excited to meet and rehabilitate these animals

The tigers and lions were placed in different areas

This is their first taste of freedom

They were no longer restricted to tiny cages where they can barely stand

Here they were freed from any expectations

They do not have to perform to be rewarded

They can walk around and feel safe from any harm

Running is no longer a luxury but a part of their daily lives

They have a long way to go but this is a great start

Although they can no longer live in the wilderness, they are far from any humans who wish to cause them harm

The organization uploaded a video of the rescue mission in Peru and Colombia:

You can watch the lions go crazy over catnip in this video:

Their journey from Guatemala to a South African sanctuary was definitely worth a watch:

Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, and now, Guatemala are just some of the countries that banned wild animals from being used by traveling circuses. Thanks to the undying effort and passion of Animal Defenders International, we are one step closer to keeping these animals safe.

Chelsi