TWO FORMER CIRCUS LIONS TAKE THEIR FIRST STEPS ON GRASS.
|Just imagine how you would feel if you never stepped outside in your lifetime, you have grown inside your room the whole life, and finally, one day, you get a chance to step outside for the first time in your life. You can’t even imagine, right? That’s what happened to the two circus lions that we are going to see today. Let’s get started.
Tarzan and Tanya have been forced to live a horrible existence as part of a Guatemalan circus for almost eight years. The two enormous felines were kept in cramped cages for years and were not adequately cared for. Fortunately, Animal Defenders International (ADI), a global animal rights organization, learned about their plight and raced to their aid.
Despite their fearlessness, the two were terrified and perplexed when Jan and Tim, ADI’s president and vice-president, went to rescue them. They had lived a difficult and tragic existence that had left profound scars in their hearts and on their bodies. And the last ones demonstrate how neglected these cute critters were.
Tanya and Tarzan were eventually transferred to a rehabilitation center before being taken away to their new home – a sanctuary in South Africa – after so many years of a tragic life.
When they arrived, the pair had the opportunity to walk on grass for the first time, and the experience was breathtaking. In the video below, you can learn more about Tarzan and Tanya’s rescue.
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We have always thought of circuses as a happy place. Although, after seeing these poor animals, it would seem that it is not the case.
Watching the circus as kids always astounded us, watching the pretty animals playing tricks, jumping through hoops, and just doing their own thing on-stage. Some of us have probably dreamt of being beside those animals. However, as we grew up, we began to realize how inhumane some circuses are.
The circus is not a happy place for animals.
The circus earns by bringing smiles towards their customers. Sadly, behind the circus tents, animals are suffering from abuse from their handlers as they are taught to perform new tricks.