Natalia Popova, a Ukrainian rescue worker, said animals are facing ‘shelling every day’, which has prompted some to fling themselves at their cage bars and refuse to eat
Three young lions waiting to be rescued from war-torn Ukraine are so terrified by daily shelling that they are refusing to eat and flinging themselves against their cage bars.
The trio are expected to be saved later this month after Yorkshire Wildlife Park get the go ahead. They have been working tirelessly to arrange the paperwork to allow them permission to bring the lions back to the UK. But it is a race against time as workers at the Kyiv rescue and rehabilitation centre warn it is “important” they are evacuated “as soon as possible”.
Rescue worker, Natalia Popova, told The Mirror: “We have shelling every day and I am very scared for the animals. They are very scared. They get nervous, hit the bars of the cage, and some refuse to eat.” Yorkshire Wildlife Park are appealing to the British public to help bring stricken Oleg, Rafael and Shanti, to safety.
READ MORE: Lions who ‘survived against all odds’ in Ukraine may soon be rescued in UK wildlife park
The centre in Ukraine has rescued thousands of animals since Russia invaded. More than 250 of them have been sent to European countries and the US, England and South Africa. They currently have 44 wild animals including three tigers, two lynx.
Park CEO John Minion said: “We are urgently trying to arrange the trip to Ukraine in order to rescue the lions as soon as possible. It is vital that we get all the paperwork submitted soon, as the ongoing war in Kyiv continues to put the lions in danger.”
The trio who have “survived against all odds” are currently in a Rescue and Rehabilitation centre in Kyiv and are thought to be about nine months old. They have been through hell since they were born with siblings Rafael and Shanti discovered in the Kharkiv region next to their dying mother.
The trio who have “survived against all odds” are currently in a Rescue and Rehabilitation centre in Kyiv and are thought to be about nine months old.
The tragic lioness who had been abandoned in a private menagerie and starved. The third lion, Oleg, is all alone after being rescued as a cub from private owners, who fled the Sumy region during the escalation of war.
YWP have been told he was raised by humans but desperately in need of connections with other lions. Now The WildLife Foundation, the charity based at the park, is launching an appeal to fund their rescue and the 2000 mile journey to Doncaster.
It is the third rescue undertaken by Yorkshire Wildlife Park which has previously seen 17 rescue lions brought to Lion Country, their seven-acre reserves.
The park has a history of rescuing lions around the world starting with a mercy mission to save 13 Romanian lions back in 2010. These lions were flown back to the UK after the British public backed the rescue. Sadly Carla and Crystal, the two remaining Romanian lions, recently died.
The success of this first rescue encouraged park bosses to take on a second lion rescue in 2024. The Mirror joined their experts to bring Aysa and her cubs, Emi, Santa and Teddi, now nearly 3 years old, back to the UK from Poland.
They arrived at the Doncaster wildlife park after travelling more than 2,000 miles across six countries.
The lions were found abandoned in the Donetsk region of Ukraine after the Russian invasion. They were left cowering in fear amid the bombs, alone with no food and water. The little pride was taken to a rescue centre in Poland but the cubs had to be separated from mum.
For months they lived in concrete pens next to their mum but unable to see the sky or go outside because of a shortage of space.
They are now thriving in Lion Country and Aysa has since given birth to three more cubs. YWP CEO John Minion said: “We are looking forward to welcoming the new lions to the park and proud to be rescuing lions for the third time.” The WildLife Foundation has played a key role in raising funds to support the rescues, transportations and rehabilitations of the lions.
Trustee Cheryl Williams said: “We are extremely proud of our previous rescues, and it is rewarding to see all of the lions settle into their home in Yorkshire. We hope that Oleg, Rafael and Shanti will enjoy the quality of life they deserve here. We would greatly appreciate any donation, however big or small, to help us bring Oleg, Rafael and Shanti to safety at the park.”
To donate to The WildLife Foundation, visit: http://easydonate.org/LIORESC3