6 min read Lion Cub Who Survived On Yogurt And Bread Is Rescued From Circus

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After being nearly starved in a Spanish circus for the first four months of his life, a young lion cub is fighting to recover. "He looked like a dirty rag [when he arrived]," Ivan Jimenez, co-founder of the rescue group Let's Adopt! Global, told The Dodo. The cub, Magnus, was snatched away from his captive mother shortly after birth and sold to a Spanish circus. He was billed as a tourist attraction and forced to pose with visitors for pictures.

Since lion cubs grow quickly, and he would be of no use to them as an adult, the circus kept Magnus deliberately malnourished and undersized by feeding him nothing but bread and yogurt. The diet left him seriously malnourished and underdeveloped, and led to a condition called stenosis of the esophagus, where the throat closes so tightly that food can't be swallowed properly.

When it was clear the young lion was ailing, the circus took him to a vet in Valencia, Spain, to be euthanized. Jimenez, who is based in Valencia, was at the vet when Magnus was brought in. Though his Massachusetts-based rescue group usually does international work with cats and dogs, he quickly volunteered to pay for Magnus' treatment when he saw the state of the young lion. Though a cub his age should weigh 45 pounds, Magnus was around only 20 pounds when he arrived at the hospital, Jimenez said, adding that the pictures posted online were taken after three weeks of intensive treatment. When it became clear that the cub had been severely abused, Spanish officials intervened and legally seized him from the circus. He has since been receiving treatment at the Valencia hospital, funded by Jimenez and Let's Adopt! Global.

Though he is currently doing well, it's unlikely that Magnus will ever be able to live on his own. "[Healthy lions] have no manners whatsoever," Jimenez said, explaining that they usually eat by tearing off large pieces of meat and swallowing them whole. Because of Magnus' health issues, his caregivers currently chop up his meat into a hamburger-like consistency so he doesn't have to swallow any big pieces. "He will get better as he grows, but chances are he will need care," Jimenez explained. "He will be special forever."

Magnus' story is a heartbreaking reminder of the brutal conditions animals experience at many zoos and circuses, especially ones that use animals as interactive tourist attractions or photo ops. It's not unheard of for attractions to drug their animals to make them more receptive to visitors, and they often keep them in inhumane conditions. Though he has a long road ahead, Magnus could be one of the lucky ones. He is still receiving treatment and has reportedly doubled his weight since his surgery last month. If all goes well, Let's Adopt is planning to transfer Magnus to a South African sanctuary. "He is my friend," Jimenez said, explaining that he plans to escort Magnus to his new home. "So I want to be the one that introduces him to his friends over there." Because Magnus has no proper paperwork, the process is a lengthy one, but they're aiming to move him in the next few months. "Right now, he looks amazing," Jimenez said. "He looks beautiful. He looks like a real lion."