Lion in Cage for 13 years Released, Feels Grass and Dirt for the First Time...

It's heartbreaking to think this majestic creature could live such a deprived life.
That is a cruelty unimaginable, I'm amazed more caged animals don't lose their minds.
Everyone need that contact with the Earth and that includes us humans.
There's a good reason children will roll in the grass and love sticking their feet in the mud.
It's something I rediscovered as a grandfather that I can't put any price on.

It's why I don't care for cities at all and believe them to be giant traps where people lose their souls gradually.

Most folks here know my thoughts on our animal friends we share this planet with so I will desist from expanding on that and instead share what I felt watching this.

This lions mental release is evident - he has seen it his entire life, wished and yearned for the release - to touch, to feel, to taste.........and in those first few wonderful moments after the release life is beautiful - more real and more wonderful than anything he has experienced in his past - ever.

In my opinion, this is what we can expect to happen to us, albeit on a much more grandiose and personal level, when it is finally revealed that we are not alone in the universe.

S&F brother, simply magical.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

Most humans have forgotten the simple joy our own planet offers.
It's just as magical for us when we realize our true relationship with our home and the abundance of creatures we share it with.
Don't most of us yearn for something more, something sublime and beautiful?
It's right outside your door anywhere trees or weeds can grow.
We spend most of our lives thinking something people can provide will give us that joy when it's already our birthright.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Amen to that my friend, we have collectively created our cage - we just need to realise that the gate to get out is not even locked.

The thread about the beautiful lost Mongolian tribe, in my opinion, is a clear testament to that.

a reply to: whyamIhere

What a piece of work is man

a reply to: Sakashima

ty I had never seen that one before.. What an amazing video..

Poeple seem to be juding zoo's wrong. They used to be a place where animals owud be gathered for people's ammanusement. Today they have the goal to preserve species in extiction. Sadly, this lion is better living in a zoo than in the wild where he can be hunted down the same way.

originally posted by: Frocharocha
Poeple seem to be juding zoo's wrong. They used to be a place where animals owud be gathered for people's ammanusement. Today they have the goal to preserve species in extiction. Sadly, this lion is better living in a zoo than in the wild where he can be hunted down the same way.

Wrong, and it's that attitude that allows these animals to be subjugated. A wild life preserve is one thing, but a Zoo or circus for profit is absolutely disgusting.

Maybe if we made harsher laws for all the bottom feeding poachers, we could save these animals from extinction. The lack of respect that some human beings have for this planet and it's creatures is repulsive. ~$heopleNation

Funny, but my emotions are more easily stirred when it comes to stories about animal abuse than when I hear about people abuse. I guess I’m jaded when it comes to people, but my heart goes out to animals. Animals are just innocent victims of human folly. Both wild and domestic. While we cheerfully carry on the business of decimating countless wildlife habitats, and choking every living thing to death with the toxic garbage we release into the air and dump into the rivers and oceans, we’re quite willfully engineering the next mass extinction event. What a shame...

One animal that I find fascinating is the gorilla. The gentle beast. Just looking into their eyes, and the expressions on their faces, it’s hard not to feel some kind of primal connection. They have as much right to this planet as we do, but we’re driving them to extinction by robbing them of their habitat. Same old song and dance everywhere you look. Before long all the great, majestic creatures will be gone. Who knows? Maybe out of our self-serving, short-sighted negligence we’ll end up digging our own graves, as well. Would probably serve us right.

At any rate, great thread. Sorry I went off on a tangent. That vid had quite an impact...

Cheers!

This subject always reminds me of these ex laboratory beagles released and feeling sun and grass for the first time........

Animals might be romanticized and are imperfect in certain respects, but at least they don't imprison others and then neglect them.

Not only do many mistreat wild animals but many torture and neglect the domesticated ones that we made sure couldn't live without us.

Heck, many humans torture and neglect other humans... and we know uncounted multitudes of humans die every day from completely preventable causes and manage to ignore it because it's (mostly) out of our immediate sight... can we really expect ignorant, and/or elitist, people to learn and treat animals, other humans and our very world with respect?

I'm torn by respecting others' autonomy and actions and forcing education upon them ... teaching all that must be taught is a daunting task... so much ignorance... so little time.

Don't do zoos that much either...

We have a wildlife conservation preserve around here...it's sort of like a zoo, but it's all outdoors with a lot of room. The animals are in their natural habitats with a lot of room, and fed their natural types of food. The animals that live there are usually injured animals, or animals waiting to be released back into the wild.

It's sort of a safari type deal where you drive around (the place is so big) and can get out and walk up to the fence if you want.

a reply to: whyamIhere

Nice share. I love to see when a creature finds their peace, or freedom. Whether it be for the first time, or a reclaimed version of that...it's beauty at it's finest.

Interesting the difference a backing track makes. I watched it with the music turned down and it just looked like a lion waking about.

Think of all the hamsters, parrots etc who never get free.

a reply to: whyamIhere

Too cool...he can't wait to touch everything! so beautiful I noticed he 's either panting from the short run or he's just overly excited to be outside?... it's just heartbreaking to see them trapped in cages.makes you want to go have a roll in the grass with him,lol
I can't even handle a bird in a cage.

originally posted by: hounddoghowlie
this reminds me of the chimps and their reaction to the first taste of being outside.

ha ha at 2:02 was priceless...they were actually smiling and hugging!!
thanks! that made my day

a reply to: alienjuggalo

The OP's video put a smile on my face. This video however....made me break straight up break down lol.
The love that lion and his best friend share is remarkable. If a man can make friends with the wild and the wild in turn love a man...why does man insist on killing each other every day.
Such a strong bond these 2 share.
Still have tears in my eyes.
Thank you for this video

a reply to: Imagewerx

Those floppy ears and dark brown eyes melt my heart. I just had to go and hug my beagle after watching that.

Poor pups and lion, glad they are free now, I hope they will remain that way.