Saving over 30 lions from their circus cages was an unprecedented rescue operation. However,
after 10 years animal defenders international had done it. The big cats were free. Now
rescuers sat back and watched the lion step onto their Homeland for the very first time.
Animal defenders international ADI is appropriately named with branches in the UK,
Columbia and the USA. Since its founding in 1990, ADI has worked hard to defend animal rights.
In fact, it was responsible for passing an animal protection law
in Colombia and Peru. Perhaps ADI’s, most famous campaign is stop circus suffering.
Focusing on the rights of circus animals. Although many countries have laws against using wild
animals in circus performances. It's a new concept in some places, Latin America is one of them. ADI
began fighting for south American circus animal rights in 2007. During that time animal activists
went undercover to reveal the shocking truth behind the lives of performing animals.
The group's co-founder Tim Phillips explains what they found to ABC's Nightline - “There's
a routine and casual violence towards animals in circuses to keep them subjugated” Phillip said.
“To keep them in their place. These animals are chained.
They're kept in tiny deplorable conditions. Their teeth are snapped off, claws cut off.”
Following the circus industries exposure, ADI's investigations bore fruit, its efforts resulted
in a government investigation of the issue over the two years that followed. The consequence was
a new law prohibiting the use of circus animals. The law's implementation shook Latin America,
and some circus owners objected to it. Subsequently, at least one traveling circus
even went into hiding to prevent authorities from taking their animals away. However together with
the continence law enforcement, ADI moved to liberate performing animals from their cages.
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stories every day. Now, back to the story. ADI called their campaigns Spirit of Freedom,
and it was captured in a video broadcast by nightline. The footage followed Phillips and
his wife, Jan Creamer, ADI other co-founder in their efforts to protect circus animals.
It seems though that not every business gave up their star attractions without a fight.
Some owners told ADI that their animals meant more to them, than just the crowds that they lured
in. For example, when rescuers went to collect a tiger called Hoover from a circus in Piura Peru.
It devastated the owners. They described the big cat as a part of the family. Despite the family's
tears and protestations though, ADI notices that Hoover looks skinny and malnourished.
“They say that they love the animal” Phillip said, “but they're just making it really stressful and
difficult for it. The circus owners adamantly deny abuse however. Although the tensions escalate as
ADI prepares to take Hoover away. The family submits the animal willingly. Phillips told
Nightline “It’s a frustrating and trying day, but we're driving away with the tiger.
And that's really the only thing that matters”. As with all of the animals that ADI rescued,
carers take Hoover to the spirit of freedom center at an undisclosed Peruvian locale. There,
she gets to sleep on a bed of soft straw for perhaps the first time in her life. The centers
animals also receive expert medical treatment. The spirit of freedom center is just a temporary
stop for the rescued animals though. ADI has much more work to do, and it's not long before
they take off to seize another circus victim. But this time the owners are much less reasonable than
Hoovers were. When ADI races to intercept a traveling circus and save a chain Puma,
they face considerable resistance. The owners even build a barrier around
their big cat. Ultimately Phillips and Creamer have to call in the local riot police as backup.
Until the animals’ owners finally relinquish it. At the end of ADI’s Spirit of Freedom Crusade,
there were over 100 liberated animals at the center. Rescuers re-homed some
of them in sanctuaries, within Peru, whereas others were transported much further afield.
This was the case with the 33 lions housed at the centre.
“The dream would be to put these animals back in the wild”,
Phillip said, “but you can't do that! They've had torn them from the ability to cope in the wild.”
So, ADI began a gargantuan transport mission. Rescuers took the lions all the way from Peru
to a sanctuary in their native South Africa. The operation took 18 long months,
but the effort was worth it. That's because the rescue team got to witness the animals first steps
on African ground and in freedom. Not only that, but cameras captured these monumental moments.
The footage shows that when the big cats transports are first open,
their inhabitants are initially cautious. Having spent their lives in metal cages,
the soft ground under their paws must seem alien to them. Their hesitance doesn't last long though.
Soon, the big cats act as if they were born wild and set out to explore their new surroundings.
The sight of a grown lion rolling around like a kitten is truly a heart melting moment
for those involved in their homecoming. Phillip's expressed how happy he is to
have played a part in their rescue. “It was incredibly affecting to have
done this epic journey in the company of these magnificent animals” he said,
“And to see them step out onto the African soil for the first time was so moving”.
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