Rescued lioness bonds with orphaned cub

Rescued lions Masrya and Nero have been through a lot - but luckily they've found each other.

Masrya lived in Egypt and was being used as a tourist photo prop, and Nero was born into a French circus and was also being used as a prop for photos.

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The wild animals were both declawed and lived in cages, never allowed to roam freely.

Occupy for Animals and Spots and Stripes Conservation helped get Masrya to the Stiching Leeuw Lion Foundation.

The lions ended up as next door neighbours and the two bonded immediately, quickly becoming inseparable.

The pair now live at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary which just took in 33 other lions and they are all finally living the lives they deserve.

The sanctuary, in Limpopo, South Africa, has worked with Animal Defenders International to bring 33 rescued circus lions from South America to South Africa.

Since the arrival of the latest lions the sanctuary is now home to 39 lions and two tigers as well as a number of indigenous animals including lions, buffalos, giraffes and white rhinos.

The sanctuary was opened in 2012 and sits on a 5,000 hectare private estate in Vaalwater.