Watch The Moment Circus Lion Who Spent 20 Years Chained To Back Of A Truck Finally Tastes Freedom

Mufasa the mountain lion spent over two decades as part of the act for a traveling a circus. He also spent all of those 20 years on a chain in the back of an old pick up truck, and he shared that space with all of the circus’ rusty metal equipment. Thanks to the efforts of Animal Defenders International, the elderly mountain lion was finally rescued and released into the wild.

The circus operated illegally in remote villages in Peru. It is speculated that the circus acquired him at a really young age as an exotic pet. The mountain lion’s captors knew very well that keeping the animal was illegal, especially since Peru passed a law in 2011 that banned the use of animals in any circus activity, and made sure to never let Mufasa out of their sight. The methods they employed to that end were simply cruel and heartbreaking.

The president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), Jan Cramer, stated that he had spent his entire life in a heavy harness and chains that kept him strapped to the back of a station wagon.

“It was absolutely the most sad, wretched thing that you’ve ever seen, to see a beautiful animal pushed into a corner. It was like he wasn’t even alive.”

Mufasa was not even afforded the comfort of a cage in the back of the truck he knew as home, instead he simply had to make space in the truck in between the piles of tent poles that were also stored in the truck. He had limited range of movement, and his rescuers said that he appeared to be afraid of humans.

Mufasa the mountain lion’s freedom came about as part of the ADI’s Operation Spirit of Freedom, which focuses on cracking down on the illegal possession of wild animals for performance, and has been going on for many months.

The project has reported that nearly 100 animals have been rescued since its inception and actually has the active partnership of the Peruvian government’s active partnership. ADI’s rescue operations have freed lions, bears, monkeys, and many others from circus life and helped them all to recover from their long years of abuse.

Operation Spirit of Freedom does face many challenges though. Since the circuses are aware that they risk having their animals seized should they be discovered, they tend to travel amongst small, remote villages, and even if they are found, they tend to put up quite a fight.

Mufasa’s rescue followed a very dramatic showdown. The owner of the circus actually put an ad over the radio offering money to people to show up and fight the police; they also told them to carry children. Animal Defenders International and police faced off against the locals and the circus for eight long hours before the owner backed down and handed over Mufasa. They also rescued a condor from the same circus.

Once Mufasa was in their custody the ADI cut off the heavy, restrictive chains and gave Mufasa his first taste of freedom. The big cat, having suffered years of neglect, was sadly underweight. The mountain lion was sent to ADI’s Spirit of Freedom rescue center in Lima, Peru, for three months of rehabilitation and care. Not only did they set about teaching Mufasa that not all humans are to be feared, but specialist veterinary treatment also saw his appetite, weight and coat much improved.

Unfortunately, his years in captivity with the circus meant that Mufasa wasn’t eligible to be released into the wild, so the group gave him the next best thing to his natural habitat. The Taricaya Ecological Reserve prepared a special enclosure in the Amazon rainforest for Mufasa the mountain lion to live out the remainder of his days in a place that no one can hurt him again. Creamer called the moment he wandered into his new home magical.

“Mufasa was torn from the wild and has endured the worst possible life. [His] story symbolizes the suffering we have ended. It is magical to see him moving about in and out of the trees in his own piece of protected forest.”

The Dodo wrote that Animal Defenders International, Spirit of Freedom program will still continue. Though Mufasa was believed to be the last captive performing animal in Peru, the group is urging that, should anyone spot illegal animal performances, to contact them and utilize the power of social media. They will be turning their rescue operations to Columbia, who banned circus animals in 2013.

Should you care to help support Mufasa and any other animals rescued by the ADI you can donate here.

[Photos Courtesy of Screencaps from Animal Defenders International YouTube Video]