- The trainer of The Empire of Lionesses insists that the animals eat right and are only overweight due to old age
- Trainer Vitaly Smolyanets said that he was in Vladivostok when he faced criticism for the lioness’ appearances
- Smolyanets said that the lionesses rehearse for three hours a day, but for the rest of the day they often sleep
- He said he doesn’t keep the animals in cages and feeds them 6kg of meat, a litre of milk and vitamins daily
Overweight circus lionesses caused public concern in Russia after people asked police to investigate believing that the animals were being treated poorly.
But the trainer of the show, ‘The Empire of Lionesses’, insists that the animals eat right and are only overweight because of their old age.
Trainer Vitaly Smolyanets said that he and the animals were rehearsing for a show in Vladivostok, Russia, when he faced criticism for the lioness’ appearances.
He said activists questioned if the lions were overfed or kept in small cages.
‘Cats, like people, get fat with age,’ he told PrimaMedia, adding that the lionesses also sleep more because of their weight.
He said the lionesses rehearse for three hours a day, but for the rest of the day they usually sleep, ‘like cats in the wild’.
Smolyanets said he doesn’t keep the animals in cages, and they’re instead kept in spacious containers. For food, he said, the lions eat 6kg of meat, a litre of milk and vitamins daily.
The trainer of the show, ‘The Empire of Lionesses’, insists that the animals eat right and are only overweight because of their old age despite being questioned over their living conditions
Smolyanets said that he and the animals were rehearsing for a show in Vladivostok, Russia, when he faced criticism for the lioness’ hefty appearances
Smolyanets said he doesn’t keep the animals in cages, and they’re instead kept in spacious containers. For food, he said, the lions eat 6kg of meat, a litre of milk and vitamins daily