Pancho, Temuco, Chitara, Delila and Kenya are released into their huge 20 acre enclosure.

They are the second pride to be released, after the family of eight lions were moved into their own enclosure in April.

Rescued from a tiny circus cage in Bolivia following ADI’s record-breaking Operation Lion Ark, they have never known anything like this.  With your help, we can bring this happiness to many more animals.

Thank you.

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This rescue is part of ADI’s mission to rehome every circus animal set free by Bolivia’s ban on the use of all animals in circuses.

Arriving at the gorgeous Lakeview Sanctuary in early September 2010, where he was put into a temporary quarantine enclosure, Tilin will soon be released into an expansive outdoor enclosure.

Tilin’s life has changed forever, and soon he will be able to live surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature – a far cry from the circus beastwagon he endured for so long.

Please adopt Tilin, and help fund his care…

Watch more rescue diaries from Operation Lion Ark…

Find out more about Tilin’s Journey…

They’re here! Years of undercover investigations, a hard-fought campaign, and a record-breaking rescue mission has led to this moment. Our 25 ex-circus lions have finally come to a new home, and Bolivia has been emptied of its circus animals once and for all.

Happy and safe, these lions are about to start a brand new life, free from harm and in a lush, natural environment.

Please make a donation to help fund the care of these lucky lions for the rest of their lives.

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This is the culmination of a groundbreaking start-to-finish operation by ADI. A few years ago, all these lions were being forced to perform tricks and kept in horrific conditions. Now they are safe, at The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, where ADI will continue to fund their care for the rest of their lives.

We hope you enjoy this final rescue diary of the lions arriving at Denver International Airport, and enjoying their first moments in their new indoor enclosures. We will continue to upload videos of the lions as they settle into their new homes, and bring you updates as we count down to their release into their outdoor enclosure.

Please share this magical moment with your friends by emailing them a link, and by posting this video on facebook and on twitter.

And please donate to help support the care for these beautiful animals.

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This is it. We are nearly there. Soon, all 25 lions will be taking off and beginning their journey to the United States, where a fantastic new sanctuary awaits them, the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.

Here’s the latest from the ADI Rescue Team in Bolivia, as we construct the lions’ travel crates, and prepare the lions for travel. Keep checking back at adirescuediary.com as we countdown to takeoff.

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These two sisters were abandoned by the circus with no food or water. We had to find a way of getting them onto our truck in the middle of the village where they had been dumped.  Once the circus knew we were coming, they just made off.

Though we’re delighted they are returning to health, we are now counting down the days til we can get them to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.  Once Chitara and Dalila, along with the other 23 lions, are there, then their lives will change forever.

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Colo and his companions, Muneca and Lulu, are the three lions which have most obviously suffered from circus life. They are extremely aggressive, and get angry whenever anyone approaches them or walks past with a stick or broom.  We believe they have almost certainly been beaten by their previous owner.

But despite this, they have come a very long way. They are much calmer now. We hope that, in time, they will learn that not all humans are a threat to them.

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Pancho and Temuco appreciate the simple things in life. But perhaps that’s not so surprising, considering the hardships they endured in the circus.  The circus who owned Pancho and Temuco tried to slip through the net and stop these lions having the future they deserve.  But we caught up with them and brought these lions to safety.

With these handsome brothers, it’s the little things which have made the biggest difference to them: even just giving them straw brought a show of delight and excitement.  And thanks to your support, Pancho and Temuco have a fantastic future ahead of them.

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When India lived with the circus, she had nowhere to hide. Her tiny cage afforded her no privacy, and little room to move around.

India has had almost no contact with other lions – she has lived alone with the circus all her life, a very unnatural life.  But she is already getting to know her new lion neighbours in the ADI Temporary Compounds, Pancho and Temuco.

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In just a few weeks, Kiara’s life has changed forever. With the circus, her whole world was a tiny tin box.  But step by step, she has come out of her shell, and is learning to interact with her environment.  She has even learnt, slowly but surely, how to play.

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Campeon is a fighter. By the time he arrived at our compound in Bolivia, he was in a state of total collapse, and it took every effort to revive him and keep him with us.

Along with his family, he is a real success story.  Now in our care, he is already on the road to recovery – and soon, he will be on his way to a sanctuary in Colorado.

Enjoy the latest video diary from our team in Bolivia, and feel free to share it on facebook and twitter.

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