Three lions from Ukraine now call Doncaster home after a 1700 mile trip here
Trio of lions from Ukraine celebrate one year anniversary at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
Award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park is celebrating the first anniversary of three lions rescued from war-torn Ukraine arriving at their forever home - Oleg, Rafael and Shanti arrived in Yorkshire a year ago following a three-day, 1,700-mile journey from Kyiv.
The trio, who were just one year old at the time, had spent months in a stay rescue and rehabilitation centre surrounded by the sounds of daily bombing unable to see the sky.
A year on, they are thriving in Lion Country, the Park’s seven-acre lion habitat made up of three specially designed reserves enjoying the feeling of grass under their paws.
Director of Animals Dr Charlotte MacDonald said: “They're doing incredibly well, and it’s lovely to see how far they’ve come.
“They’ve completely settled into life here and all have their own personalities. “It’s quite a contrast to when they first arrived. They'd been through so much at such a young age and naturally they were nervous of their new surroundings.
“A year later they're confident, inquisitive and really enjoy exploring Lion Country. We couldn’t be happier with them.”
Oleg had been alone since birth and had never seen another lion before coming to Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Days after arriving, he caught sight of Rafael and Shanti through the mesh between their enclosures for the first time.
At the time, keepers said Oleg was keen to socialise, while Rafael and Shanti were more wary.
Dr MacDonald said: “Oleg was interested in the other lions straight away and it was amazing to watch.
“Rafael and Shanti were more cautious when they arrived, but all three are completely different lions now to the ones we welcomed a year ago.
“It makes us very proud to see them enjoying their lives here after everything they went through.” Oleg was rescued as a cub from private owners who fled the Sumy region during the escalation of the war.
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.
The three were cared for at a rescue and rehabilitation centre in Kyiv before being transported to the Park. Their journey was interrupted by a 15-hour wait at the Polish border before they crossed the Channel by ferry.