Five lions and 12 tigers, rescued from Guatemala circuses, make a great escape to freedom at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa. The animals were rescued during ADI’s 18-month operation to help enforce Guatemala’s ban on animals in circuses. Then, officials warned ADI to leave the country with the animals by 21 January or risk losing them. Organizing a flight like this normally takes weeks, but ADI was racing against time as flight after flight was blocked due to landing and security restrictions on flights from Guatemala. With just days to spare, ADI secured an escape route through Mexico, Belgium, and Qatar.

See the inside story of a relocation that started on 18 January and finished on 21 January, 2020. At the time, no one realized that a delay of just eight weeks would have seen the animals locked down in Guatemala due to COVID-19. This really was the great escape.

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