National Antivisection Society
Bolivian lions move into new quarantine facility
12 February 2010
On February 4, our five lions took one step closer to freedom. Upon completion of the construction of the quarantine facility, our three male, and two female lions were successfully transferred into their temporary home.
Click to see photos from the move!
The Full Story of the Rescue
Read more on the remarkable journey of how these four ex-circus lions arrived in California after a life in the circus:- Circus gives up five lions and a baboon
- ADI takes steps to recover five lions and baboon
- ADI build state-of-the-art quarantine enclosure
- The tragic story of Maiza
- The flight to freedom
- The release of Camba, Simba, Dactari and Bambek
- News: Tilin’s Next Move
Maiza, Bambek, Daktari, Camba and Simba, will all live in the quarantine facility, the “Parque Escuela”, in Cochabamba while we await the necessary permits to move them to the US. Prioritizing public safety, ADI, with the support of the Municipal Mayor of Cochabamba, coordinated the move with police and veterinarians.
It was an early start at 5am to move the animals; the operation began by moving the beastwagon, in which the animals had been living for their entire life, into the quarantine area. During the delicate transfer from the beastwagon into the facility, a number of highly trained individuals were on hand to assist. This included veterinarians, an anesthesiologist specialist sent by the Santa Cruz Zoo, and Enrique Mendizabal and Martin Beltran as representatives of ADI in Bolivia, in addition to the rest of the ADI team, and our local resident veterinarian Dr. Nathalie Toranzos.
The Move
It was a slow process to move the animals into the quarantine area, with each lion taking approximately half an hour to move. These lions have lived their whole life on the back of a truck, so going into a new enclosure was greeted with trepidation and caution. However, once the animals were inside, they soon relaxed, enjoying playing in the straw and feasting on their specialist vitamin and mineral enriched diet.This new quarantine enclosure consists of individual night enclosures, and a recreation area allowing the animals to interact with each other; although at this stage the males remain separated from females. This is a truly historic development in the lives of these animals, never again will they be confined to the barren and cramped conditions of a beastwagon, as their journey to freedom continues.
Together we are making real progress for animals around the world and together, we can give these lions and baboon a wonderful future. If you would like to support our rescue work to care for these animals please send a donation
You can also
- See photos from the move
- Read about our adoption scheme
- Read about animals we’re currently trying to save
