MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the BBC’s Saturday report, the animals would be unable to survive in the wild as most of them had their teeth or claws removed.
"This is a hugely important rescue mission because it does make a statement around the world about the way people treat animals. These lions have suffered tremendously," ADI spokeswoman Jan Creamer said, as quoted by the BBC.
The first group of animals was picked up in Bogota by a cargo plane, which then travelled to Lima and then Johannesburg. The lions were freed as the use of wild animals is banned in both Peru and Colombia.
The Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary a 5,000-hectare reserve in northern South Africa, already hosts six other rescued lions and two tigers. The sanctuary has drinking pools, platforms, toys and vets for the animals, according to the BBC.
