Four ex-circus lions have arrived safely at their new home in Scotland after being transported from an animal sanctuary in Belgium.
The Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder, West Lothian, raised £150,000 over the past year to build a two-acre enclosure for the big cats.
The animals were rescued in May 2014 from a French circus in Belgium because the country forbids the use of wild animals in performances.
After being seized by government officials, they were taken in by the Belgian Rescue Sanctuary, a half-way house for abandoned or mistreated animals.
Zoo owners Brian and Shirley Curran travelled to Belgium on Saturday to collect the lions and, together with staff from the sanctuary, made the 17-hour journey back to West Calder.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YcW681cdjdQ%3Frel%3D0
Mr Curran said: “We initially thought we wouldn’t be able to cope with this project as a small zoo but we received encouragement from the local community and managed to raise the necessary amount of £150,000 and built this fantastic enclosure which the lions seem to love.
“We’ve given them running water, a pond and trees to shelter in and an indoor cosy den to go whenever they want.
“Most importantly they are all together as they have been all their lives, so it’s paradise for them compared to where they came from.”
The sanctuary’s Sil Jonson said: “The police warned the circus three times but they didn’t listen so after the third time they took the lions and brought them to us to find them a new home.
“For the first six years of their lives they lived on a truck which was far too small for animals this size, and the only time they came out of it was to perform in the circus and this would have been painful and stressful.
“It is a dream to give the lions such a nice place to live with much more space than they have ever had in their lives.”
The exact history of the lions is not known but they were all castrated and had their claws removed at a young age, meaning they do not have the usual mane of hair.
The Belgian Rescue Sanctuary said they are “in good health” and ready to be seen by the public.