SAO PAULO, May 18 (UPI) -- A Brazilian animal sanctuary shared video of a lion's first joyful encounter with grass after spending 13 years in a circus cage.

The Ranchos dos Gnomos sanctuary in Sao Paulo said the lion was kept in a cramped cage by a circus for 13 years before coming to the sanctuary, where keepers filmed the big cat's apparent joy at feeling green grass for the first time.


The sanctuary said the lion, named Will, came to the sanctuary in 2006 and passed away in 2011, but they decided to share the video this month to raise awareness of their work and help raise funds for a plan to relocate the sanctuary from Sao Paulo to a more rural area.