In a heartwarming story of loyalty and friendship, a rescued lion said goodbye to his rescuer after 20 years of companionship. The lion, Jupiter, was rescued from a ᴄʀᴜᴇʟ circus by Ana Julia Torres, who dedicated her life to caring for animals in need at her Villa Lorena shelter in Colombia.
Ana Julia Torres Has Decided To Save And Take Care Of Jupiter
Ana Julia Torres saw the ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ conditions that Jupiter was living in and knew that she had to save him.
She took him in and gave him the care and love he needed to recover from his traumatic past. Over time, the two developed a special bond lasting for two decades.
Villa Lorena is an animal refuge unlike any other, which cares for hundreds of ᴀʙᴜsᴇᴅ animals, including this lion named Jupiter.
Many of the animals had previously belonged to ᴅʀᴜɢ ᴛʀᴀꜰꜰɪᴄᴋᴇʀs who had been apprehended.
Ana Julia Torres is the caretaker of four lions, nine Bengal , jaguars, cougars, a crocodile, a speckled bear, an ostrich, Jocko the chimpanzee, spider monkeys, and hundreds of brightly colored birds.
According to Ana Julia, they all have one thing in common: they have all been ᴀʙᴜsᴇᴅ. They’re ʟᴀᴍᴇ or have ʟᴏsᴛ arms or legs; they’re ʙʟɪɴᴅ, can’t concentrate, or have ʟᴏsᴛ an eye.
It’s Sad That They’re Separated
Previously, Jupiter had lost trust in people and had developed a ꜰᴇᴀʀ of human contact. This ᴘʜᴏʙɪᴀ vanished when he was cared for by Anna Julia.
However, because of her reported lack of documents to keep the lion, authorities removed Jupiter from Anna Julia’s treatment.
Unfortunately, the vets diagnosed him with terminal ʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴᴇᴍɪᴀ. He quickly lost weight and became very ɪʟʟ.
When he had the opportunity to see Ana Julia one last time at the Los Caimanes Zoo, she found he had ᴋɪᴅɴᴇʏ and ʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇ and was so thin.
Jupiter succumbed to liver ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ and ᴅɪᴇᴅ in 2020, but his memory lives on. Goodbye, Jupiter, you must be happy in heaven!
Ana Julia Torres’ dedication to rescuing animals like Jupiter is a testament to the power of love and compassion. Her work has inspired countless individuals to make a difference in the lives of animals in need, and her legacy will continue to live on through the animals she has saved.
The story of Jupiter and Ana Julia Torres reminds us that the bonds we form with animals are not just based on companionship but on a deep sense of empathy and understanding. It is a reminder that every animal deserves to be treated with love and kindness, no matter how big or small.
