For most of their lives, 33 African lions knew nothing but circus cages, starvation, and abuse. Rescued from illegal circuses in Peru and Colombia in late 2015, the lions arrived malnourished and broken. We transported all 33 lions on a charter flight from South America to a 12,000-acre sanctuary in South Africa. After a four-day journey, the lions took their first steps onto African soil, trading a life of suffering for one of freedom.