The cargo bed of an old, rusty pickup is no place for any animal—especially not a wild puma. Yet Mufasa, a puma in Peru, was forced to live there for 20 years as part of a traveling circus.
Exotic animals like pumas are often exploited for entertainment, kept in chains, small cages, and unnatural conditions, far from the wild homes they deserve. Mufasa was one of many, used to entertain crowds while suffering behind the scenes.
Thankfully, in 2015, Animal Defenders International rescued him after years of effort to shut down the circus. Mufasa was the last wild animal freed. Though he couldn’t be released into the wild, he spent his final months in a sanctuary designed to mimic his natural habitat—a place where he could finally feel grass beneath his paws.
Sadly, Mufasa passed away just months later due to age and health issues caused by his former life. While his time in freedom was short, it was far better than never experiencing it at all.
Mufasa’s story is a powerful reminder: wild animals belong in the wild, not in chains for our entertainment. Let animals be animals.