Circus Animals - Former circus elephant Manuschka passing through the Palatinate
Wildcat New Arrival in the Palatinate: Former circus lioness Manuschka has temporarily moved to Maßweiler. "Since a cage was available at the rescue station Tierart, Four Paws agreed to take her in," said Diplom-Biologist Eva Lindenschmidt. "In a few months, she is supposed to travel to the Dutch Big Cat Sanctuary 'Felida,' where the expert team will try to socialize her with a male lion."
Manuschka was born in 2019 in France in a big cat park of a animal trainer and sold to a German circus with her half-brother at around three months old, where she spent her previous life. "The talks with the former owner began about three months ago," said Lindenschmidt. The circus originally had two lions.
Sudden death of half-brother
"Since Manuschka's half-brother died unexpectedly, the circus family decided to voluntarily surrender her and to give up keeping big cats in the future." In search of a suitable facility, the organization Four Paws was contacted. The transport reportedly went smoothly.
In the first days, Manuschka was cared for in an indoor enclosure for acclimation to the new environment and the animal care team. "She was released for the first time onto the 850 square meter outdoor area on Tuesday," explained the deputy manager. In the coming months, a medical team will examine the lioness thoroughly.
Against Big Cats in German Circuses
"We appreciate that approximately 60 big cats are currently being kept in German circuses," said Karina Omelyanovskaya, campaign manager at Four Paws. The organization maintains regular contact with circuses that keep wild animals to rescue as many big cats as possible. "This happens under the condition that a ban on breeding and hunting new big cats in these circuses is in effect. Individual rescues cannot change the situation long-term. We need animal welfare legislation that truly protects animals, so that cases like this become part of the past."
Manuschka's future in the Dutch Big Cat Sanctuary 'Felida' looks promising, as she's expected to be socialized with a male lion there. Despite being born in a French big cat park and then sold to a German circus, her future home is now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, due to the decision of her previous owner after the sudden death of her half-brother. Four Paws, an organization that advocates against big cats in German circuses, played a significant role in facilitating this transition.
