FOTO: Youtube

Circus lion chained up in the back of a pickup for 20 years, now watch his reaction when he is released

Animal rights campaigners are slowly winning their battle again circuses. So many of them have been exposed as places where animals are treated cruelly and forced to do things that are unnatural and dangerous.

The big well known circuses have been banned from visiting a lot of countries but unfortunately the little lesser known circuses continue to operate, causing unnecessary suffering to wild animals.

Recently a beautiful mountain lion was found chained up in the back of pickup truck and forced to be a part of Peruvian circus Circo Koreander.

When his rescuers found him they learned that Mufasa, the mountain lion, had been kept this way for 20 years, writes The Independent.

Photo: YouTube

I’ve never understood people who go to circuses. Seeing animals taken out of their natural habitat and forced to perform in the name of “entertainment” is really not something that should exist in today’s society.

But still animals are forced to live in cages – or even worse in chains, so they can draw the crowds in who pay to see this.

Just looking at this beautiful mountain lion tightly wrapped in his chains and forced to live in the back of a pickup truck is heartbreaking.

Photo: YouTube

Mufasa had been forced to live like this for 20 years, taken from remote village to remote village to perform, according to The Independent.

In 2011, Peru banned wild animals in circuses and Animal Defenders International(ADI) continue to support the authorities to enforce this law.

In 2015 ADI campaigners found Mufasa and released him from his heavy harness while they worked to close down the illegal circus.

Watch the wonderful moment when Mufasa is released back into the wild in the clip below.

Today, Mustafa is happy and can roam freely in the open – just like he was born to do. He now gets the opportunity to enjoy his last years living a free life.

So wonderful to see!

Please share to pay tribute to Animal Defenders International and all the other organizations working to save these animals. Your work is invaluable!