I love animals, and I can say with certainty that being chained up in the back of a pickup truck is no a place for an animal, especially not a full-grown mountain lion.

But that was exactly where a mountain lion named Mufasa was forced to live.

He belonged to a traveling circus in Peru and his life was made a living hell — all so people could be entertained and his owner could make money off of him.

Fortunately, some animal lovers came to his rescue…

Even today, many animals are still abused and neglected in circuses, zoos, and shows. In recent years, the situation for many animals has improved, but we still have a long way to go.

Because thousands of poor animals are still forced to live in tight spaces and don’t get the chance to live the lives they deserve.

The mountain lion Mufasa was found chained up on the of a pickup truck in Peru. He had lived there for 20 years, forced into a life he neither wanted nor deserved.

Luck came to Mufasa late in life, but thankfully, it did come. In 2015, the animal rights organization Animal Defenders International was able to get him released after several months of hard work. The organization found him when they it trying to shut down a whole Peruvian circus.

Experiencing freedom made a significant difference in Mufasa’s well-being. Instead of enduring a life filled with anxiety and oppression, he was granted the fundamental right that all wild animals deserve — to spend his final years in the embrace of nature, living on his own terms.

Mufasa’s rescue story is beautiful, and the video below shows his first step in freedom. It’s amazingly nice!

After being rescued from the circus, Mufasa had a few months of freedom before his health began to decline.

Being chained to the back of a pick-up truck for 20 years had taken its toll, leading to kidney failure and other age-related issues. He passed away in 2015, according to Animal Defenders International.

But his story continues to shed light on an important issue.

Mufasa was a magnificent, gentle creature who found joy in receiving back scratches. While it is saddening that he couldn’t enjoy more time in his natural habitat in the Amazon, it would have been a greater tragedy if he had never experienced freedom at all.