{"id":9578,"date":"2018-12-18T20:34:25","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T20:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/?p=9578"},"modified":"2018-12-18T20:35:20","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T20:35:20","slug":"rescued-circus-lions-wont-stop-playing-with-new-toys-offered-to-them-in-their-new-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/trending\/rescued-circus-lions-wont-stop-playing-with-new-toys-offered-to-them-in-their-new-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Rescued Circus Lions Won’t Stop Playing With New Toys Offered To Them In Their New Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lions and other big cats have been used in the circus industry for years, especially in Latin America and other parts of the world. However, a new push to end circus suffering has resulted in sweeping bans on the use of wild animals in circuses. You won’t believe how these rescued circus lions reacted when they saw their new home and walked on grass for the first time ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

15. Sasha, Nena, and Kimba<\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lions Sasha, Nena, and Kimba had an unhappy life once upon a time. Kept in cages at a Guatemalan circus for 10 years, a company called Circo Navarro. The only time they felt even the smallest taste of freedom was when they were let out to perform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

14. A Hard Life<\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Care2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The life of the lions was brutal. Not only were they forced to perform tricks, but they were also declawed so trainers could handle them easier. Declawing is not a pain-free procedure and involves amputating their toes partially. Without claws to defend themselves, they were forced to endure long, hard training sessions. Luckily, their nightmare was going to be over.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

13. A New Circus Ban<\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The country of Guatemala officially banned the use of live animals in circuses and now the lions were being kept illegally. Animal Defenders International helped release Sasha, Nena, and Kimba, along with a pair of lions — Tanya and Tarzan — \u00a0owned by another circus company. Newly free, the lions had no idea what to expect.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

12. Making New Homes<\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: The Rainforest Site<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First, they needed a new enclosure. Animal Defenders International set to work constructing homes that would be safe and pleasant for the big cats. While they worked, the cats had to be housed in large crates. The crates were much larger than their previous houses, however, and came with fresh hay and toys.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

11. First Grass<\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The enclosures Animal Defenders International was constructing were large and filled with real grass. The staff was excited to help the big cats in their new home. Sasha was the first and when she touched the grass floor, she reacted with such glee. It was her first time on grass.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

10. Sasha Plays<\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Daily Express<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The excitement continued when Sasha saw her tire toy. She immediately began chewing it and pawing it in a playful action. It was a far cry from her sad life at the circus. Watching Sasha, the other lions were eager to explore their new homes.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

9. Kimba’s Reaction<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kimba was just as playful as Sasha, batting around all of the large toys they had placed in the enclosure. The lions were immediately relieved and happy with their new surroundings. \u201cEnjoying the feeling of grass beneath their paws, of hanging freely from a tire swing, or flopping down onto a bed of hay \u2014 simple pleasures previously denied them \u2014 the true characters of the lions are shining through,\u201d Jan Creamer, Animal Defenders International President, told The Dodo.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

8. Tarzan is Overcome with Joy<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tarzan was understandably hesitant as he explored his new enclosure. He approached each thing gingerly and reacted to the grass. It wasn\u2019t until his second day in the enclosure that he began to act like a kitten by playing with a tire swing.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

7. Even More Space<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lions aren\u2019t going to stay in these enclosures forever, however. Animal Defenders International is making plans to move them to the organization\u2019s large sanctuary in Africa where they can spend out of the rest of their days. The new space will feature even more grass and plenty of space to roam.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a06.\u00a0 Content Lions<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It will take a while for the lions to be prepared and screened for the African sanctuary. For now, Animal Defenders International is happy to give the lions a second chance. Sasha, Nena, and Kimba aren\u2019t the only lions that were rescued from Circo Navarro.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5. Tomas<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This August, Animal Defenders International was able to rescue Tomas, brother to Sasha, Nena, and Kimba. Tomas was given to a zoo by the circus and then Animal Defenders International took him when the zoo was no longer able to care for him. Now he\u2019s been happily reunited with his siblings.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4. Circus Bans<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The group has been instrumental in making sure former circus animals get proper homes and encouraging the ban of wild animals in circuses. Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala, Colombia, Greece, Macedonia, and many European countries have effectively banned wild animals from being used in circuses. It\u2019s a great stride thanks to the efforts of many.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3. Rescuing More Animals<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Animal Defenders International didn\u2019t stop at rescuing the lions from circuses. They also rescued nine tigers who are to be sent to the Tigers for Tomorrow and Big Cat Rescue — both sanctuaries are located in the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2. The Sanctuary <\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Animal Defenders International has 450 acres of grassland located in South Africa. The property is abundant with trees, lakes and even some water holes. Fundraisers are currently underway to fund the sanctuary, and you can give at their website.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Flying the Lions Home<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Animal Defenders International<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rescuing lions and flying them across the world isn\u2019t easy. Through GreaterGood.org, Animal Defenders International is fundraising to relocate the lions to the sanctuary when the time’s right. It\u2019s going to be the biggest change of the lions\u2019 life, and will give them the life they always deserved.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lions and other big cats have been used in the circus industry for years, especially in Latin America and other parts of the world. However, a new push to end…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9578"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9582,"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9578\/revisions\/9582"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedesigninspiration.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}