PHOTOS: Rescued circus lions take their first steps on grass

Five lions and nine tigers from two different circuses have been rescued from their bare board cages and have taken their first steps on grass.

For the whole of their circus lives, the circus animals had only ventured out of their bare board cages to perform tricks under the big top. That was to change forever when Guatemala’s ban on animal circus acts came into force, and Animal Defenders International (ADI) embarked on a mission to enforce the law.

ADI’s first task was to set up a temporary rescue centre from scratch, where animals removed from the circuses could be cared for until relocation to their forever homes. ADI then negotiated the handover of the animals: three lions from one circus, two lions and nine tigers from another.

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