Yorkshire Wildlife Park are rescuing more of Ukraine’s lions after the public helped them raise funds to save them from the shells
Three lions left terrified and cowering by the shelling of Ukraine will soon be heading for the UK after the Yorkshire Wildlife Park stepped in.
A charity appeal has now raised more than £20,000 – enough funds to cover their specialist travel costs from the war torn country. And “soon” the rescued lions will be leaving the Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Kyiv to head for Doncaster and the safety of the ‘lion country’ in the award-winning park.
Stricken Oleg, Rafael and Shanti are thought to be about one year old. Oleg was rescued as a cub from private owners who fled the Sumy region during the escalation of war. He was raised by humans but longs for connections with other lions.
Siblings Rafael and Shanti were found in the Kharkiv region next to their dying mother, a lioness who had been abandoned in a private menagerie and starved.
It has been a race against time as workers at the Kyiv rescue and rehabilitation centre warned The Mirror that it is “important” they are evacuated “as soon as possible”.
A rescue worker 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.”
A spokesperson for YWP, who are unable yet to give an exact date, said: “The appeal has covered the £20,000 in travel costs and final paperwork is underway and the lion will be with us soon.”
The WildLife Foundation, the charity based at the park, launched an appeal to fund their rescue and facilitate the 2000 mile journey which will bring the trio of lions to Doncaster – their new forever home.
It is the third rescue undertaken by Yorkshire Wildlife Park which has seen 17 lions brought to Lion Country over the years, the seven-acre habitat has three specially designed reserves.
Trustee of The WildLife Foundation, Cheryl Williams, said: “We are delighted to be able to support another lion rescue and save these beautiful lions who have not had the best start in life.
“We hope that Oleg, Rafael and Shanti will enjoy the quality of life they deserve here.
“We are extremely proud of our previous rescues, and it is rewarding to see all of the lions settle into their home in Yorkshire.
“All donations to The Foundation make a huge difference to animals around the world and our rescues would not have been possible without the support.”
The WildLife Foundation has played a key role in raising funds to support the rescues, transportations and rehabilitations of the lions.
Director of Animals, Charlotte MacDonald, revealed: “Oleg and Rafael and Shanti will be mixed together for the first time to live in a pride.
“Oleg currently lives alone and so we are looking forward to introducing him to the others.
“Rafael and Shanti survived against all odds and are now inseparable, gentle and curious around people. They will live safely together in their new home in Yorkshire.”
The first lion rescue took place back in 2010, which brought 13 African Lions to the Park.
Their rescue won international accolades for saving the lions from horrific conditions in Romania and giving them a new home in Yorkshire.
The success of this encouraged the park to take on a second mission in 2024, witnessed by The Mirror.
Aysa and her cubs, Emi, Santa and Teddi, now nearly three years old, travelled more than 2,000 miles across six countries from Poland after being abandoned in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.
Since then they have been thriving at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, with Aysa giving birth to three more cubs earlier this year. Now the larger pride have become a firm favourite at the park.
During the Russian invasion many animals were left alone with no food, water, or shelter and were terrified by the bombing but have since been thriving in Lion Country.
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. It has been incredible to receive so many donations, helping us to carry out our mission to save the three lions.”