LA PAZ, Bolivia — Four lion cubs freed under Bolivia’s circus-animal ban took off for California on Thursday, heading to a new life in a refuge built with the help of television personality Bob Barker.
The cubs were rescued under a Bolivian law set to take effect in July that prohibits circuses from having any animals — including pets — making it the world’s most comprehensive ban.
A fifth lion, mother of three of the cubs, was also rescued after a lifetime of circus work. But she proved too elderly to make the trip and had to be euthanized, said Enrique Mendizabal, a volunteer with Animal Defenders International.
The lions will be released today at a Performing Animal Welfare Society refuge in northeastern California in a habitat built with support from Barker, the former host of the TV game show “The Price Is Right” who is a longtime animal-rights advocate.
In their circus lives, two of the cubs had their fangs cut to protect trainers, who wowed crowds by sticking their heads inside lions’ mouths. Another had her claws ripped out at birth — without anesthetic.
