‘Traumatised’ lions rescued from Ukraine to arrive at UK ‘forever home’

Five traumatised lions rescued from Ukraine are due to arrive at a specially-built new “forever home” in Kent next month.

The Big Cat Sanctuary has raised £500,000 to create the Lion Rescue Centre for the big cats which have been removed from the war-torn country, with four being kept temporarily at zoos in Belgium.

A spokeswoman said: “Major progress has been made at their state-of-the-art facility, which will soon serve as the forever home for Yuna, Rori, Vanda, Amani and Lira. Each of these lions have endured unimaginable lives.

“The construction of the centre faced significant challenges during the winter months, with heavy downpours creating tough, muddy conditions. Despite these obstacles, the dedicated team are on track for completion in March.

“In March, Rori, Vanda, Amani and Lira will embark on their long-awaited journey to the Big Cat Sanctuary, where they will be reunited with Yuna.

“These lions have spent the past months in facilities offering temporary care across Belgium – Rori at Natuur Hulp Centrum, Vanda at Planckendael Zoo, and Amani and Lira at Pairi Daiza.”

The spokeswoman said Yuna, a female, had been living in an enclosure measuring 3m by 4m (9.8ft by 13ft) with a bare concrete floor and had suffered shell shock from explosions during the war.

She said: “When evacuated, she was in such bad health she could not stand on her feet due to the heavy shelling.

“Debris fell approximately 300m from Yuna’s enclosure and caused her to suffer a severe concussion, which led to a complete loss of co-ordination.”

Rori, who is approximately three years old, had been living in a private menagerie and used for illegal breeding, and was also unable to stand because of shell shock, the spokeswoman said.

She said female lion Vanda is approximately one year old and was rescued from a flat where she had been kept as a family pet where she had no access to sun and was “severely malnourished”.

She added that sisters Amani and Lira, also both about a year old, had been illegally bred for “photo exploitation purposes”.

Cam Whitnall, project lead at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said: “All the hard work is paying off, and we are inching closer every day to completing the Lion Rescue Centre and welcoming all the lions.

“Our team have been counting down to this moment, and now our end goal and vision is finally within reach.”