After titanic efforts and a lifetime in the misery of a circus, a sweet lioness finally got the chance to roam freely where she belongs – in the wild. Yet, none of these would not have been possible if it wasn’t the lioness’ fighting spirit and the kindness of the people that saved her.
Sasha, a 6-year-old lioness was among other five lions and a dozen of tigers saved from circuses in Guatemala by a UK-based wildlife charity. When found, all those poor animals were in deplorable conditions. They have been kept in tiny cages and forced to perform several times a day, without being properly fed or cared for. Sasha was by far in the worst condition as she had both mentally and physically injuries. One of her legs got infected after she was declawed by the heartless circus trainers. But she never gave up!
“Sasha is not just the sweetest personality, but she’s also a fighter,” said Jan Creamer, president of the UK charity Animal Defenders International (ADI). “She existed in an oppressive environment where every day was full of fear. It has been a long, tough road to get these lions and tigers to safety but it is wonderful to witness.”
Soon after the lioness was rescued, she was taken to an ADI facility to undergo surgery. Fortunately, after a successful intervention that last a few hours, Sasha’s leg was saved and she will be able to step on it again.
Surprisingly, Sasha recovered much more faster that anyone would ever thought and after nearly two years since she was saved from the miserable life in the circus, the special-looking (she has a small mane due to the testosterone excess) lioness got the chance to freely roam in the African Bush!
“She existed in an oppressive environment where every day was full of fear,” Jan Creamer told MailOnline. “It has been a long, tough road to get these lions and tigers to safety but it is wonderful to witness.”
Source MailOnline