U.S News

DENVER – Twenty-five lions, most of them ransomed from Bolivian circuses, began their newborn lives at a Colorado wildlife shelter on Thursday, pouncing in large, fenced areas and enjoying the feel of grass on their backs.

The 14 males and 11 females were flown into Denver International Airport on Wednesday salutation and trucked to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Keenesburg, most 35 miles northeast of Denver.

On Thursday, Denver's KUSA-TV showed cat cubs roughhousing in the scenery as their care looked toward the camera, quiet behind the fence. Other lions, habitual to existence confining to diminutive cages, sprawled on their backs, with their arms and legs in the air like the kinsfolk dog.

The animals were ransomed from deplorable conditions after a accumulation was passed last year in Bolivia prohibiting every performances involving animals, Animal Defenders International said. Most of the lions were preserved and suffered from eye and foot infections when rescued, the assemble has said. king Kopp, honcho of wildlife in fortified areas in Bolivia's environment ministry, said 24 lions were ransomed from circuses, while another past circus cat was ransomed from a zoo that was existence winking down.

The delivery leaves Bolivia with three lions, which are in licenced zoos, he said.

When the lions landed at Denver's airport, the jetliner pulled into a maintenance hangar and personnel officers armed with attack rifles stood by as a precaution.

Former mettlesome exhibit patron Bob Barker and actress Jorja Fox of CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the group's ambassador, were on hand to welcome the airlift, dubbed Operation Lion Ark. Barker, who helped finance the $200,000 effort, said he was excited to wager the animals headlike to a shelter where they module hit room to roam.

"They module be the happiest lowercase babies you ever met," he told reporters.

Barker said he hopes someday no circuses module hit birdlike acts.

As the prototypal caged birdlike was touched off the plane, Barker yelled, "Lion No. 1, come on down," mimicking the artefact contestants were introduced on "The Price is Right."

While three cubs were in one cage with their mother, the rest traveled in their possess cages, accompanied by a veterinarian. Before leaving Santa Cruz, Bolivia, they were presented sleep medication.

A 15,000-square-foot biosphere has been shapely at the shelter to help them change to Colorado's chillier climate. Once they do, the big cats module be able to roam around 80 acres at the sanctuary, home to most 270 disorderly animals, including another lions, tigers, bears and wolves.

___

Associated Press illustrator Sheila V Kumar contributed to this report.

Source