Here's a video of those rescued lions checking out their new home

[joeybee12]

http://pilotonline.com/news/media/videos/rescued-lions-explore-new-home-in-african-bush/youtube_7fd4720a-b949-54e9-b630-1ca4749ca127.html

The good stuff is towards the end of the video.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Aww, look at that face!

[joeybee12]

4. I know...I want to hug him!

Don't think he'll let me, though!

[MuseRider]

2. One Mothers day

my husband got me the package to support one lioness while she came to their Colorado facility and settled in. Probably one of the nicer gifts I have ever received. They did not keep up their end of it letting me know how things were but I still knew about her, saw photos and felt pretty great knowing we did a little bit to help them. I think they are a very good group.

Hit post too quickly.

This is a lovely video. Of course there are spats and territory fights etc. I bet most of them are eventually able to be in a pack in one of the larger enclosed acreages. Beautiful animals. So happy they are out of the places they were in.

[joeybee12]

3. That is a great present!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. It's probably like when you bring a new cat into your house

and the incumbent cats have hissy fits for awhile. They will settle down after a bit.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. Yup...

...but they will never stop peeing where they aren't supposed to in silent protest.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. But at least you don't have grumpy lions peeing in your house.

[MuseRider]

15. I have 5 males

all but one inside. All had been abandoned and 2 were quite feral, one had been elusive at the barn for 6 years. Boy do I know those spats! They occasionally stir it up, spray and calm back down. It is a mess but they needed care and I would not change it. Those lions are so beautiful and I am so happy they have been moved. I think the Internet has been a great teacher of people that we are not the only civilized species, not the only ones to care for both family and friends and now watching how some species are entirely different than we "superiors" always assumed. 😀 I love this.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I read somewhere yesterday that some of these lions have never been in an outdoor environment before

They have lived their lives in cages and pens.

[joeybee12]

6. Yup, and they have been declawed!

Terrible, but at least now they'll have a good life.

[ReRe]

7. K&R

Wow! What beautiful animals! Thank you joeybee12 for bringing this to our attention. As for the trouble of them quarreling through the fence of their cages at each other, and I know it would be more expensive to do i, but the cages need to be set far enough apart that they can't reach through and hurt each other. Might be cheaper than the vet bill though, if they actually hurt each other badly.

[joeybee12]

8. Yup, I think this is something we can all agree on!

Well, they've been declawed by the circuses, so they probably wouldn't do too much damage...right now some of the males seem to be trying to assert themselves...I think it will calm down in a bit.

[ReRe]

9. I didn't know they had been declawed...

... yeah, they will settle down soon. And since they have been declawed and have never been in the wild before, I assume they will be fed regularly and well, since they pretty much can't do that for themselves anymore. Again thanks for sharing.

[phylny]

10. I wonder why they didn't

neuter them? Would cut down on fighting/aggression, I would think.

[enlightenment]

16. Did you know (I didn't until the other day)

that if you neuter a male lion, it will lose its mane and some of the other male characteristics?

https://retrieverman.net/2013/09/21/what-happens-when-you-neuter-a-male-lion/

[phylny]

25. No, but I assume it would reduce the aggressive behavior.

What do I really know, though? I was just wondering why they didn't do it, and how they were going to deal with the aggression.

[enlightenment]

29. I suspect

they will give them a chance to acclimatize before they make a decision. Poor things have been through hell.

[AlbertCat]

21. neuter them?

Does that work if they are adults and have been for a while?

[phylny]

24. Sure. My dog was neutered as an adult

Reduces testosterone. Doesn't change all the undesirable behavior, but a good majority of it.

[libdem4life]

11. Just one comment, other than the obvious joy,

The good stuff started the minute I hit the video button. Thanks.

[LiberalLovinLug]

17. Pretty surprised that these "experts" wouldn't foresee the aggression.

When forcing new males into a new lion community. There is a natural competition to decide the dominant male.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. They clearly did foresee it; the lions are in separate enclosures.

They'll snarl and swat at each other through the fences (they are declawed so can't hurt each other that way), and probably will eventually settle down, like house cats getting used to newcomers.

[Duppers]

19. Zactly.

The handlers did know. Cats are cats and will settle down. They are neutered males, so they won't be fighting for mating rights.

[phylny]

26. I guess I thought I saw testicles.

Wonder what I was looking at lol

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. I don't think they've been neutered because they have pretty thick manes.

That means that if you tried to take them home and put two of them together, they'd pee on your couch.

[Duppers]

30. You're right! I was WRONG. Those guys have their testicles intact!

Someone said that after they reach adulthood, they are neutred to make them more trainable. But obviously, not these guys. So, I suppose the games are on. Poor guys.

My apologies.

[phylny]

32. No need for any apology :)

I think we've both spent more than enough time examining and talking about lion testicles.

[LiberalLovinLug]

20. Okay

Its just that they seemed surprised and were "anxious" about the aggression.

[AlbertCat]

23. were "anxious" about the aggression.

Male lions....

Y'know the females form the pride, and the males sorta hover around it (If I'm not mistaken)

It seems natural for some aggression among a group of males....y'know to establish pecking orders. But of course you don't want them really hurting each other.

[joeybee12]

22. True, especially since most of it is posturing...

They're testing each other and it would be rare for one to take a really good swipe or bite right off.

[Rhiannon12866]

31. K&R! This is so wonderful!

Thanks so much for posting this - many of us have been following these beautiful big cats throughout this rescue effort - and it's so great to finally see them in their new forever home...