'Lions of Lockdown' finally home in SA
The Born Free Foundation says the lions were born in captivity and housed in cramped, rusty trailers when they were part of the circus.
Four adult lions sold as young cubs to a French circus have finally been relocated to South Africa's Shamwari Big Cat Sanctuary, in the Eastern Cape.
The lions were all removed from the French circus back in 2018.
The Born Free Foundation says the lions were born in captivity and housed in cramped, rusty trailers when they were part of the circus.
They were also compelled to perform in a travelling circus for most of their lives.
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While the Foundation had raised enough funds and was ready to send the lions back to their ancestral home at Shamwari, the Covid-19 pandemic put an indefinite halt to their travel plans.
Angela, Bellone, Saïda, and Louga have now joined nearly 50 other big cats given new lives at Shamwari by the Born Free Foundation.
The Foundation says all four lions were remarkably calm and relaxed during the 4-day journey by land and air and all emerged confidently from their travelling pens when they were released into the 3 hectare Big Cat Sanctuary on Friday morning.
Born Free Co-Founder, Virginia McKenna, says she is overjoyed that the "Lions of Lockdown" are now at Shamwari.
Born Free says the logistical feat of re-locating four adult lions took hundreds of hours of planning, evaluation, and care undertaken by the Foundation's experts and specialists.