Iowa zoo settles lawsuit; lions sent to Colorado sanctuary

Published August 04, 2016

A wildlife protection group says two African lionesses have been sent to a Colorado sanctuary, settling its lawsuit against a roadside zoo in northeast Iowa.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund said Wednesday that The Wild Animal Sanctuary took possession of the lions Monday. The 720-acre sanctuary sits near Keenesburg, Colorado.

The organization and five Iowa residents sued Cricket Hollow Zoo in Manchester, Iowa, last month. They alleged that the zoo confined the lions in small, barren enclosures that were strewn with fly-laden meat and feces and that the lions' treatment violated the Endangered Species Act.

Zoo officials didn't immediately return a phone message left Thursday. Earlier this year, the national group successfully sued the zoo to force the removal of three endangered lemurs and four tigers.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com

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