* Twenty-five circus lions sent to Colorado sanctuary
* Bolivia law bans wild and domestic animals in circuses
* Lions were malnourished and stressed
By David Mercado
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia, Feb 16 (Reuters Life!) - Twenty five Bolivian circus lions who grew up locked inside small cages were shipped to the United States on Wednesday on a flight to freedom and a new home in a sprawling wildlife sanctuary.
In 2009 Bolivia became the first country in the world to ban both wild and domestic animals in circuses. The law defines the use of circus animals as "acts of cruelty."
Fed and sedated for the long journey, the lions took off from the eastern city of Santa Cruz on a DC-10 cargo plane in a mission dubbed "Operation Lion Ark" that will take them to The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) near Denver, Colorado.
"Obviously there are risks in this journey because these animals are very dangerous but we've taken all precautions and we trust that everything will go well," said Jan Creamer, head of Animal Defenders International (ADI).
The animal protection group, with offices in Los Angeles, London and Bogota, has worked with Bolivian authorities to rescue the lions, which range in age from cubs of just three months old to an elderly lion aged 15.
The few zoos in Bolivia, the poorest country in South America, are severely underfunded and animals are often kept in small, dirty cages.
ADI described the mission that began in November as the biggest rescue and airlift of lions ever seen.
"These are truly remarkable beasts who continue to amaze us with their recovery. When we rescued them from their terrible condition in the Bolivian circuses, many were malnourished, stressed and traumatized by their experience," she added in a statement.
Creamer said the lions were less aggressive, healthier and that their coat had more luster since they were rescued.
The Colorado sanctuary, which is dedicated to rescuing captive large animals, is home to more than 200 lions, tigers, bears, leopards, mountain lions and other carnivores, according to ADI. (Writing by Luis Andres Henao; Editing by Patricia Reaney)
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