Late at night in San Francisco Airport; two transport trucks waiting; film and camera crews at the ready; ADI Ambassador Jorja Fox and the ADI Rescue Team on hand with supplies of water; one of the runways was about to play host to a contingent of lions flying in from Bolivia.

As the aircraft touched down, the level of excitement hit fever pitch: after months of negotiations, the four lions had finally made it: Camba, Simba, Bambek and Dactari were going to a new home. It had been a hard, hard week with challenges every step of the way.

It had been our most ambitious and complicated rescue mission ever, but it was the culmination of five years of investigative and campaign work, leading up to this amazing moment. Our field officers had infiltrated Bolivian circuses and caught the brutality on camera; the campaign was launched and Bolivia gave us the world’s first national ban on all animals in circuses. Now we had rescued the first animals from Bolivia’s circuses and brought them to freedom.

Actress and campaigner Jorja Fox and the ADI team had barely slept for days and would not sleep that night. However, as the aircraft rumbled to a halt and the cargo doors opened to reveal the precious cargo of lion crates, it was all worth it. Here was everything we fight for, representing the undercover investigations, the campaigning and lobbying to secure new laws, overcoming the logistical difficulties, and giving animals a new life.

When the lions were on the tarmac and the crates opened, they began to roar – first Bambek and then everyone. This time they were roaring freedom.

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The journey begins

As the rescue unfolded, we deployed two teams to ensure everything went smoothly, a rescue team in Bolivia and a reception team in San Francisco.

ADI Chief Executive Jan Creamer, Supporter Relations Director Lisa Mitchinson and vet Dr Mel Richardson, flew down to work with the ADI Bolivia team in Cochabamba.

Campaigns Director Tim Phillips travelled from Los Angeles with the US team to oversee operations in San Francisco. CSI actress and ADI Ambassador Jorja Fox, who had written personally to Bolivia’s President Morales when the ban was passed, joined the ADI San Francisco Team.

Daily video diaries kept everyone updated with events; these were put on our rescue blog, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Jorja Fox provided video updates of the status of the US preparations. The diary is now available on DVD and online.

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Touchdown

9pm at San Francisco Airport, the gantry that had been set up for the President was bristling with TV cameras and photographers and Jorja and Tim were briefing the media. It was a magical moment for the team waiting as they watched the aircraft approach.

Finally, the aircraft rumbled into place and the huge cargo door opened: the hatch opened, the ADI team waved and there were the lions in their crates. They had finally arrived safe and sound.

Each crate was gently lowered from the aircraft and opened up so that they could be checked and watered. Bambek began bellowing to announce his arrival, and everyone else joined in. Jorja gave each of them a good drink of water, the crates were closed and loaded onto the trucks to take them to PAWS, and we drove into the night.

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