Three lions that live since they were born locked in circuses cages will begin to enjoy a new life and a deserved retirement. Sarita, 9 years old, her daughter Carol, 4, and the male Chimarrão, 9 years old, arrive today in the afternoon at GAP Sanctuary in Sorocaba, countryside of São Paulo.

The three lions were born and belonged to Circus Rostok, which has been settled for a few years at Espírito Santo state. Due to total lack of structure and funds to maintain the animals, National Environment Institute (Ibama) in the state has been talking to the circus owner since 2005 about the evidence of mistreating founded – very bad condition of the cages used to host the animals and inadequate feeding – and had been suggesting that the circus gave away and donate the animals so they could be located in an appropriate place.

After a long time of negotiation involving Ibama and local animal protection organizations, finally it was able to settle that GAP Sanctuary would receive the lions. The sanctuary already hosts other six lions “retired” from circuses. In this case we point out the terrible condition of the cages used to house the lions (check photos), which consists in one of the several mistreating evidences commonly found in situations of animals being exploited by circus.

GAP Project, one more time, “open its enclosures” to receive these lions and provide them with the ethical and respectful treatment they deserve. We think it is very important to promote this story to reinforce the importance of the population to unite to ban the use of animals in circus. “Chimpanzees of GAP Sanctuary wait for their forest friends, providing shelter and caress to them!”, says Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian, president of GAP Project International

CIRCUS WITHOUT ANIMALS RULE!