Seeing an animal freed after a lifetime of suffering is one of the most heartwarming ways you can start your day. So many wild animals deserve treatment that is so much better than we give them and seeing them run free or find a loving facility to care for them is amazing!
Peru banned the use of wild animals in the circus back in 2011 and it caused a chain of events to happen.
In a landmark decision, the country of Peru decided to ban the use of wild animals from circuses in the country, allowing the lives of so many creatures to be saved. Circus conditions were rarely suited for wild animals and they were mistreated in many circumstances.
Although the practice was banned, many circuses still continued to operate in secret with their animals.
The resulting police crackdown took years as nearly all of the circuses tried to defy the new law. It’s during this crackdown that Mufasa was found.
After Peru banned wild animals in circuses, most circuses defied the law. One by one ADI tracked them down and removed the animals. Finally in a dramatic stand-off, during which riot police were called, the last circus was cornered and Mufasa was cut from his chains. – Animal Defenders International
Mufasa is a mountain lion that was forced to perform in circuses for nearly his entire life.
Living a life dominated by chains and cages, he had no idea what it meant to live as a real mountain lion should. Even after the wild animal ban, Mufasa was still stuck as the circus he operated refused to give him up. The refusal turned into him being the last circus animal to be rescued.
Finally, Animal Defenders International was able to get him freed.
Nearly 20 years after his initial capture, Mufasa was allowed to go free. Since he had been raised in cages his whole life, they weren’t able to send him out into the wild. Instead, they built him an enclosure in a sanctuary located in his natural habitat, the Peruvian forest.
As an “old man” in cougar years, he was able to spend his last years living something so much closer to what he was meant for.
Mufasa could not be released into the wild after the life he had endured, therefore ADI built him an enclosure at a sanctuary in his natural environment in the Peruvian forest. Here he was looked after for the rest of his life in a habitat as close to what nature intended for him as possible.
The latter end of his life would be spent living it happy and healthier than he had ever experienced – exactly like a wild animal should.
After some time spent in his new home, Mufasa passed away.
A life spent in the circus, chained to a truck had taken its toll on him. He was experiencing kidney failure and was getting to an age where health issues were more common. Despite living a life behind bars, Mufasa was able to spend the last bit of his life freer than he had ever been.
Check out the video of his initial release below!
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