Lions of Ukraine celebrating first summer of freedom far from the ravages of the Russian invasion

Aysa and her three cubs, Emi, Santa, and Teddi who were rescued earlier this year by Yorkshire Wildlife Park have settled into their new home in Doncaster where they are enjoying the summer sunshine.

Aysa was rescued out of the war-torn Donetsk region to Kyiv, where she gave birth to her three cubs and the family then spent nine months in a holding facility in Poland before making the 2,000-mile trip to the UK.

The lions are now being hailed as symbol of hope on World Lion Day as they enjoy life at the 175-acre park near Doncaster, which is an acclaimed centre for conservation.

“The Ukraine lion family have been incredible and settled into their new home so quickly. They have accepted their new surroundings and keepers unconditionally,” said Colin Northcott, deputy section head of carnivores at the award-winning park.

“They have grown confidence ten-fold, so much so it is as if they have been here their entire lives. They have almost doubled in size too and, with all the space available to them, they have improved in health and strength.

“They have become a huge hit with the public and staff alike, and I am extremely proud of them, and the team who look after them. From cowering in the corner of their pen in Poland trying to hide from the world, to the proud and confident animals they are today, they truly are the pride of Yorkshire.”

Aysa was abandoned in a private zoo when fighting engulfed Donetsk. She then gave birth to her cubs, now nearly 2 years old. Traumatised and malnourished when they arrived from the Ukraine, they were cared for in a temporary shelter at a zoo in Poland. Yorkshire Wildlife Park then came to the rescue and, backed by public support through the WildLife Foundation, organised for them to start new lives at the park’s seven-acre Lion Country reserve in March.

Their survival and health is a significant achievement which was praised on World Lion Day (Sat Aug 10) - held to raise awareness about the dwindling number of lions living in the wild and celebrate successful projects.

The park, which received world wide recognition for its original Lion Rescue in 2010 of 13 lions from horrific conditions in Romania and brought them to Yorkshire for happy and healthy lives, is home to many rare and endangered species including amur leopards, giraffes and black rhinos.