Meet Jupiter, a well-known Colombian Lion who rose to prominence during his time at Refgio Villa Lorena.
The Villa Lorena Animal Refuge is a one-of-a-kind sanctuary for animals.
Four lions, nine Bengal tigers, jaguars, cougars, a crocodile, a speckled bear, and an ostrich live with Ana Julia Torres.
There’s also Jocko, a chimp, spider monkeys, and hundreds of brightly colored birds.
According to Ana Julia, one thing they all have in common is that they’ve all been mistreated.
She continues, “They’re lame or have lost limbs; they’re blind, can’t focus, or have lost an eye.”
“I have two human children and 800 animals,” Torres continues, “some clawed and others very hairy, but all of them magnificent.”
The sanctuary is home to over 800 animals, but Ana’s favorite was Jupiter the lion.
Jupiter was rescued from the circus, where he had his claws removed and was often treated bad.
Jupiter, unsurprisingly, lost faith in humanity and acquired a phobia of human contact.
After Anna Julia took care of him, his fear disappeared.
The healthy lion, on the other hand, was sent to Monteria’s Los Caimanes Zoo.
Jupiter was seized from Anna Julia’s possession because she allegedly lacked the necessary documentation to keep the lion.
During his stay at the zoo, Jupiter swiftly lost weight and got quite unwell.
In order to save Jupiter’s life, he was relocated to a location closer to Ana Julia.
He was sent to the Cali Zoo for treatment, where vets cared for him around the clock.
He had terminal liver cancer and anemia, according to the vets. He had one last chance to see Ana Julia, whom he adored.
Jupiter lost his battle with liver cancer and died in 2020, but his memory will live on.
