After 20 Long Years In Captivity, Circus Lion Tastes Freedom For The First Time

We love animals, and we can say with certainty that being chained up in the back of a pickup truck is no a place for an animal, especially not a full-grown majestic mountain lion. Life in captivity is the worst form of existence, as every living being, whether animal or human, is meant to be free. Unfortunately, we often come across stories of animals that end up spending their lives in chains, never experiencing freedom.

At the time, Creamer described the scene as "the most sad, wretched thing that you've ever seen," noting that "it was like he wasn't even alive." Fortunately, he was rescued by ADI's Operation Spirit of Freedom, a yearlong crackdown on illegal circuses in the wake of Peru's 2011 ban on performing circus animals, after an eight-hour standoff with his owners. (Animal Defenders International)