Thirty-three former circus lions are feeling the African sun on their backs and grass under their feet after a lifetime of misery and abuse in traveling circuses in Peru and Colombia. The lions made the incredible journey back to their birthplace after a herculean rescue effort by Animal Defenders International (ADI).

Tim Phillips, Animal Defenders International co-founder, said rescuers faced incredible challenges in tracking down and rescuing the lions from illegal circuses in Peru and Colombia.

Circus animals are banned in the countries, but many traveling circuses operate in remote areas and moved underground after the laws went into effect. ADI teams worked with government authorities to find and seize the animals, writes natureknows.org.

Many times they were accompanied by SWAT teams and riot police in order to secure and rescue the animals. They then had to transport the lions back from remote areas in the Andes and back to their rescue centres.

It was an effort that took 18 months to accomplish! Of the 100 animals saved, 33 were lions. These majestic big cats have endured a lifetime of suffering, confined to tiny cages, maltreated and mutilated.

Arrangements were made to fly them back to their land of origin – Africa! Sadly, the lions will never be able to survive on their own because of their physical condition. Many have had their claws removed and their teeth smashed. “They can’t go back to the wild but they can go back home,” Tim said in an interview.

The lions will live out the rest of their days in peace and freedom at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa.

“African sun, African night skies, African bush and sounds, clouds, summer thunderstorms, large enclosures in a natural setting where they can remember who they are,” Savannah Heuser, founder of Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, said in a statement.

Tim said bringing the battered, old lions back to Africa is one of his proudest moments. Wait until you hear the lions roaring behind him at 2:56 in the video below. It’s as if they know they are back home!

Here is another news video of this amazing rescue operation with the lions taking their first steps outside at their new home.

Please share this incredible rescue with your family and friends!

What five characteristics do all animals have in common?

In the following slides, we’ll explore the basic characteristics shared by all (or at least most) animals, from snails and zebras to mongooses and sea anemones: multicellularity, eukaryotic cell structure, specialized tissues, sexual reproduction, a blastula stage of development, motility, heterotrophy and possession …

What characteristics do all animals have in common quizlet?

The six characteristics that all organisms in the animal kingdom share are: they are multicellular, almost all can move, their cells have no cell wall, they have to hunt for their own food (consumers), they are eukaryotic, reproduce sexually-when two cells join to form off spring and their cells lack chloroplasts.

What 4 characteristics do all animals share?

Most animals share these characteristics: sensory organs, movement, and internal digestion. All of them are illustrated in Figure below. Animals can detect environmental stimuli, such as light, sound, and touch. Stimuli are detected by sensory nerve cells.

What are the 7 characteristics of all animals?

These are the seven characteristics of living organisms.

1 Nutrition. Living things take in materials from their surroundings that they use for growth or to provide energy.
2 Respiration.
3 Movement.
4 Excretion.
5 Growth.
6 Reproduction.
7 Sensitivity.

What are the 6 characteristics common to all animals?

They are as follows:

All animals are made up of cells that do not have cell walls.
All animals are multicellular organisms.
Most animals reproduce sexually.
All animals are capable of self-propelled motion at some point in their lives.
All animals are heterotrophic and must consume other organisms for energy.

What protein do all animals have in common?

The exctracellular protein collagen (making the most abundant extracellular protein in animals) which is required in multicellular organisms to keep the cells together, which is exclusive to animals. Most enzymes responsible for metabolic pathways.

What are the 3 characteristics of animals?

Characteristics of Animals

Animals are multicellular organisms.
Animals are eukaryotic.
Animals are heterotrophic.
Animals are generally motile.
Animals possess specialized sensory organs such as eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue.
Animals reproduce sexually.

What are the basic characteristics of all animals?

What do all animals have in common with each other?

Sexual reproduction is another characteristic shared by most, but not all, animals. Regardless of species, all animals share multicellularity, which means their bodies consist of multiple cells. This sets animals apart from organisms, such as single-celled algae, fungi, bacteria and other basic life forms.

What do plants and animals have in common?

Most plants are also multicellular, so although this is a characteristic shared by all animals, it is not one unique to animals.Every animal on the planet is a eukaryote. A eukaryote is an organism that consists of cells that have membrane-bound nuclei and organelles.

What are the characteristics of the animal kingdom?

All animals are eukaryotic, multicellular organisms, and most animals have complex tissue structure with differentiated and specialized tissue. Animals are heterotrophs; they must consume living or dead organisms since they cannot synthesize their own food and can be carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, or parasites.