A lion from the circus was kept in captivity for a very long time—20 years! Now, see how he reacts when they finally set him free.

I really care about animals, and I can tell you for sure that being tied up in the back of a pickup truck is no place for an animal, especially not for a big mountain lion.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly where a mountain lion named Mufasa had to live. He was part of a traveling circus in Peru, and his life was really tough—all just so people could be entertained and his owner could make money.

Even now, many animals suffer in circuses, zoos, and shows. While things have gotten better for some animals in recent years, there’s still a lot of work to do.

Many animals are still kept in small spaces and don’t get to live the lives they should have. Mufasa, the mountain lion, was found chained up on the back of a pickup truck in Peru, where he had been for 20 long years, living a life he didn’t want or deserve.

Good news finally came to Mufasa, but it happened later in his life. Thankfully, in 2015, a group called Animal Defenders International worked really hard and got him released. They found him while trying to shut down a whole circus in Peru.

Being free made a big difference in Mufasa’s life. Instead of feeling anxious and oppressed, he got the basic right that all wild animals should have—to spend his last years in nature, living on his own terms.

Mufasa’s story of being rescued is wonderful, and there’s a video below that shows his first steps in freedom. It’s really heartwarming!

After being saved from the circus, Mufasa had a few months of freedom before he started getting sick.

Being chained to a pickup truck for 20 years had made him really unwell, causing kidney failure and other problems that come with old age. Sadly, he passed away in 2015, as reported by Animal Defenders International.

Even though Mufasa’s story is sad, it helps us see an important problem.

Mufasa was a magnificent and gentle creature who found happiness in getting back scratches. While it’s upsetting that he couldn’t enjoy more time in his natural home in the Amazon, it would have been even worse if he never got to experience freedom at all.

No animal should ever be treated like Mufasa was! Please share this video to show that you also care about animals!