Magnus was a lion cub who was abused at a circus for his whole short life.
They wanted him to stay as small as possible, so all they fed him was yogurt and bread, even though big cats require a meat diet. They also never weaned him and continued feeding him milk.
Due to this, his esophagus narrowed, and he couldn’t even swallow anything larger than a single grain of rice. He quickly grew weak and sick, since he wasn’t getting fed proper nutrients to help him grow.
In addition to that awful cruelty, they also drugged him so that people could use him for photo ops. They tried to make as much money as they could off of him.
He was destined for euthanasia, but thankfully he finally ended up in good hands with Viktor Larkhill and his team of rescuers.
He underwent emergency surgery to enlarge his esophagus, and quickly began gaining weight.
Despite everything that cruel humans put Magnus through, he was still very friendly and full of energy. He loved playing with his first toys, and now enjoys the company of other lions.
Watch his rescue in the video below:
