This footage shows Jon the lion who has been rescued from a circus in France after he was found to be in a dangerously emaciated state.
As can be seen from these images, Jon – who was owned by the Cirque de Paris until the authorities finally seized him – was very thin and had even had his teeth removed. He had also reportedly had his claws taken out.
The animal rights organisation that saved him, One Voice, told Newsflash: “We had already filed a complaint against the Ministry of Ecology over the circus animals. The ministry said that the animals were well treated there.”
The authorities had reportedly known about the case since October 2018 but have only finally acted now. The incident took place in the commune of Vironvay in the Eure department in the northern French region of Normandy.
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
One Voice added: “We lost the [initial] case but are studying other avenues now that Jon has been rescued.”
One Voice told Newsflash that they hoped to have Jon well enough to go to a sanctuary in Africa “in a few months” but added that it could only happen “if he survives.”
They said: “Jon can go to Africa In a few months, if he survives his deleterious conditions in the circus. Right now, it takes time for him to regain his strength and be healed.”
One Voice said that the prefecture, “responsible for ensuring its well-being, seems not to have followed up as necessary.”
Jon the lion who has been rescued from a zoo after he was found to be in a dangerously emaciated state 
Jon the lion who has been rescued from a zoo after he was found to be in a dangerously emaciated state
They also added: “Another element is the cancellation at the very last minute of the [initial] rescue operation which was organised at the end of September 2018. Everything had been planned out, but it was cancelled due to pressure, were they political? We do not know.”
Big cats are a trendy topic these days, with shows like Netflix’s The Tiger King, featuring Joe Exotic. Asked what they thought about the show, One Voice told Newsflash: “It is always useful to show the exploitation of these wild animals, to put an end to them.
“We hope the message it sends will not make people want to own big cats. Their place is in nature or in sanctuaries when they have been captive.”
Muriel Arnal, founder of the association, told local media: “We have been monitoring the activities of this circus and the condition of the animals for two years.
“There are four other lions whose condition is very worrying. When we got Jon back, we didn’t know if he would make it. Today we are more optimistic but there is urgency for others.”
Jon the lion who has been rescued from a zoo after he was found to be in a dangerously emaciated state 
Jon the lion who has been rescued from a zoo after he was found to be in a dangerously emaciated state
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
