Rescued circus lions in Colombia and Peru to fly to South Africa

The final destination for the animals, which were flown in on a chartered cargo flight, will be the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, a 5,000 hectare reserve on a private estate in South Africa's northern Limpopo province.

The lions were freed with the assistance of the authorities after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia.

All of them were rescued from years of torture and abuse in circus companies in Peru and will now spend the rest of their lives in South Africa's Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary. Nine of the lions were flown from Colombia to Lima airport in Peru, where they joined 24 Peruvian circus lions before taking off for their new life in Africa.

"They only had airline food and they are looking forward to a good meal now", said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), which organised the rescues and the airlift operation.

The ADI, which was behind the biggest of its kind operation, says nearly all the lions have had teeth or claws removed at the circuses.

In the circuses the lions were poorly fed and trucked around in cages, the group said.

The long journey began on Thursday in Colombia where a caravan carrying the first nine lions departed the city of Bucaramanga for a 14-hour drive to Bogota's worldwide airport.

Workers transport cages with African lions, that were born in captivity and held in circuses in South America, upon arrival at the OR Tambo International Airport on April 30, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Numerous lions were never allowed to have direct physical contact with other lions and have never been together without a fence or a cage separating them.

"At their new home at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, the lions will enjoy large natural enclosures situated in pristine African bush, complete with drinking pools, platforms and toys", ADI said in a statement.

"All of the lions when they arrive from the circuses have health problems, parasites, disease", Ms Creamer said.

"We are on our way!" read a post on the ADI website.

"The lions will be in their natural habitat for the first time in their lives", Ms Creamer said.

"I believe we have brought them back to paradise, where they belong", she said.

"We're going to take care of the animals throughout the whole trip".

Source: Rescued circus lions in Colombia and Peru to fly to South Africa