The couple are recovering under the South African sun after being nursed back to health at the rescue centre eP Madrid.
Recovery: Puppies at the Madrid Rescue Center
Lion cubs George and Yame are resting in the sun and recovering after facing death as tourist toys.
Five-month-old babies were left half-starved and used as photo opportunities at a theme park in southern Spain.
But the dying puppies were suddenly taken to a rescue centre in Madrid and nursed back to health after British animal lovers spearheaded a global Facebook campaign to save them.
Now their new life has begun after being flown to a sanctuary in Gaeta, South Africa.
Cute moment: George gets a hug (North Down) The puppies had been sold without permission to a Spanish city by the owner of a French travelling circus. He charged tourists 10 euros to pose with them in Alicante’s Terra Mítica park.
To keep them small and easy to handle for tourists, it is said that they were fed with diluted milk to encourage their growth.
Surprise visitor Rosemary Mathews, from Elstead, Surrey, said: “The puppies looked very sad and disheveled, they shouldn’t be taken out like that, it’s so cruel.”
State doctor CJ Munoz and her Spanish husband Luis took care of George and Yame until they recovered their health.
About fur trade: CJ and Yame (North Dows) She said: “We received the lions in July. They were only two months old. We found out that the lions were in the amusement park.”
Spanish police officers confiscated the lions before handing them over to CJ and Lυis.
Mrs. Munoz said that the woman who organized the transfer of the puppies to the park did not have documents proving that they were in captivity in Europe, so they were taken away.
In a mess: Underweight pup Yame (pictured by North Dows) CJ said: “These pups were dying. After the rescue, we went to see them at the Alicate hospital. Their condition was terrible.
“They were exhausted and only watered down milk kept them alive. That was all they had; it meant they couldn’t grow normally.
“He had bone diseases and his legs were like rubber; he could not walk very far. He was full of infections and had cataracts.”
Painful: George’s leg is infected. He added: “We didn’t think the youngest, George, was going to survive. For a while we thought he would have to be humanely euthanized.
“Because he showed such courage and tenacity, we thought, ‘This little one deserves a chance.’”
The cubs arrived in South Africa on Friday.
