Simba the tiger was rescued from the circus in Guatemala. We believe he was born in 2010. He came to us with two other male tigers, Max and Kimba. At the circus these tigers were fed chicken feet as their primary diet. This does not give them the nutrition they need. Many circus tigers are very closely related due to inbreeding and often suffer spinal deformities from the lack of nutrition, inadequate ability to move around, being forced into unnatural poses for circus acts, and being so inbred. These three tigers all have arches in their spines that we do not see in our other cats.

In the circus the full time living space for these circus tigers was only about the size of a queen size bed.  Because it is a cruel life 27 countries ban circus acts that use wild cats. In the U.S., there are seven states and 149 other localities in 39 states that have passed various restrictions or bans involving the use of wild animals in circuses.

The circus was banned by law in Guatemala thanks to efforts made by Animal Defenders International. Hermanos Ponce Circus resisted turning over the animals, but ADI eventually managed to get them to relinquish their tigers and ADI cared for them in a temporary facility while Big Cat Rescue worked to obtain the import permit needed to bring three of them, Simba, Max and Kimba, to their permanent home here.  They finally arrived on November 25, 2019.

Of the three tigers, when they arrived at Big Cat Rescue Simba proved to be the extrovert in the group. When the door of his travel crate was opened, he exited enthusiastically and headed right for one of our large cylindrical toys and started playing with it.

Background Information

February 7, 2018, was the first time Big Cat Rescue heard about the circus tigers in Guatemala. It was a Daily Mail story telling everyone how a 55-year old man had both his arms ripped off by starving tigers, who ate them as villagers threw rocks and beat the cats with sticks. The circus had been banned in Guatemala thanks to efforts made by Animal Defenders International. The tigers were supposed to have been turned over to authorities, but instead, Ponce Circus, and others all went on the run. On October 29, 2018, we heard that Ponce Circus tigers were still starving, and we asked ADI if they were able to find them.

By November 11, 2018, ADI was able to announce that they had gotten the last 6 tigers out of the Ponce Circus. The big cats were transferred to a temporary rescue camp that Big Cat Rescue helped to fund. Then the laborious process of obtaining export and import permits began.

In all, ADI rescued 6 lions and 15 tigers from the rogue circuses. Big Cat Rescue funded the care for 3 tigers named Kimba, Max, and Simba during this lengthy ordeal. Unfortunately, other sanctuaries had promised to do the same for the other cats, but they never followed through. The remaining cats will go and live in South Africa at the Rescue Center that ADI has built to care for them.

On November 25, 2019, three former circus tigers from Guatemala Rescued by Animal Defenders International, are on their way to Big Cat Rescue!

Arriving in Miami

Finally, the day has arrived! Watch as Max, Kimba and Simba land in Miami International Airport!