Los Angeles: Animal Defenders International (ADI) has teamed up with progressive crowdfunding platform loveanimals.org to help them take 33 rescued lions home to their native Africa. The big cats were saved by ADI from traveling circuses in Colombia and Peru, and will be flown next month to a new life at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary at a cost of $10,000 per lion. ADI is inviting the public to visit www.loveanimals.org/33-lions-back-to-africa.html, share the love and help get the 33 lions home!

ADI President Jan Creamer, “After a lifetime of cruelty in the circus, these lions deserve to live in peace, under an African sun. Peru and Colombia have set the lions free, ADI has rescued them, now we need help. Show the love and get them home.”

The record-breaking airlift to South Africa will conclude ADI’s 18-month mission to assist the governments of Peru and Colombia to enforce new laws prohibiting wild animals in circuses. Over 100 animals have been saved during the rescue, the biggest of its kind to be undertaken, and an entire cruel industry has been eliminated.

ADI’s Stop Circus Suffering campaign and the Operation Spirit of Freedom rescue are supported by award-winning TV legend Bob Barker who told People earlier this year: ”I think ADI is probably one of the finest animal protection organizations in the world. They get things done. A lot of organizations have ideas. ADI doesn't just have splendid ideas, it produces. I am proud to be associated with them."

An entire aircraft will be chartered for the flight at a cost of $330,000 – or $10,000 for each lion. Visitors to loveanimals.org are being asked to contribute a dollar per lion to fly home – $33.

Nine lions will fly from Colombia to join 24 lions on a specially chartered aircraft from Lima, Peru to Johannesburg, South Africa. The lions have led such tragic lives that it is not possible to release them into the wild. Most have suffered their toes chopped off to remove their claws, one has lost an eye, another is almost blind and many have smashed and broken teeth. The lions will live as close as possible to their natural life, in huge natural, secure habitats, funded by ADI at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary and ADI will finance their lifetime care.

Find out more and donate at: www.loveanimals.org/33-lions-back-to-africa.html

Worldwide, over 30 countries have banned the use of all or wild animals in circuses, with similar prohibitions under discussion in several more. In the US, 50 local jurisdictions in 22 states have passed full or partial bans on wild animal performances and several are in discussion, in Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey. ADI is also supporting a federal bill, the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act (TEAPA).