WATCH VIDEO: Lions CRY as they are released into wild and feel African soil for the first time

The lions were saved from a Romanian circus

THESE six lions are the Cecils who could be saved, after being rescued from a Romanian circus and released into the African wild.

 

This emotional footage shows the poignant moment the six lions born into a world of captivity finally feel the red soils of Africa under their heavy paws.

The film was shot by wildlife charity FOUR PAWS and charts the incredible life-changing journey for the lions from mournful exhibits to treasured guests of an African big cat sanctuary.

As if to show their joy, the lions appear to weep as they sense the free air and brilliant sunshine of a new dawn in South Africa.

Three of the lions, Petrica , Lavinia and Lidia, were born in captivity 15 years ago to be trained as the stars of the Romanian state circus, Globus.

 

Petrica never took to life in the big top and after attacking his trainer, the three lions were transferred to Baia Mare Zoo in 2002, "exchanging circus penitence for a concrete prison," explains the charity. The following year, Petrica and Lavinia's cubs, Tarhon Big and Maron, were born.

When the zoo was later shutdown for failing to meet the new EU zoo directive, life looked bleak for the lions as they festered in tiny cages and paced on concrete floors, but FOURPAWS worked ceaselessly to give them new horizons, mounting an 8,000-mile airlift with military precision to take them "home".

As the video shows, the lions were treated like VIP first class travellers as they were escorted by an international team of vets from Germany, Romania and the Netherlands on the long journey across Europe to the FOUR PAWS Big Cat Sanctuary, LIONSROCK in South Africa.

 



Lions being transported to the airport



They were joined on their journey to their interim enclosure at the sanctuary by another lion called Giovanni, who began life in Italy 12 years ago as a beach "photo lion" before ending up as a show animal, later losing his tail while being forced to perform.

For the charity, the scenes as the lions take their first hesitant steps of a new life in the land of their ancestors is the climax of a long and arduous rescue operation, and a fitting denouement for the animals born into lives of abject sadness.

Ioana Dungler, Director of Wild Animals at FOUR PAWS, said: "In Romania quite a lot of zoos had to close due to the new EU directive, but the problem is that there is no appropriate place for the remaining animals, such as these lions.

 



The lions had injuries due to years of neglect



Today is a very happy day, as we can finally take the group to LIONSROCK.

"Most of these zoos have very bad keeping conditions, with small enclosures, lacking specialised veterinary care and proper food.

FOUR PAWS is therefore planning implement a reproduction control programme next year for big cats in Romanian zoos, together with local authorities."

 

One of the lions sheds a tear in her new home

FOUR PAWS says according to the latest figures, 175 big cats, mostly lions, are still living in Romanian zoos, with 24 of the animals living in zoos that were no longer authorised due to the new EU directive.

At LIONSROCK, the six big cats will live in large enclosures in a natural habitat that provides a "species-appropriate home" to over a hundred big cats rescued from poor keeping conditions.

For More about LIONSROCK: www.four-paws.org.uk