The Yorkshire Wildlife Park new lioness and her 18-month old three cubs, which were rescued from a private zoo in Ukraine as Russian bombs rained down, have been released into their new home after spending the last two months in rehabilitation.
The mother, Aysa, who was pregnant with her three cubs Emi, Santa and Teddie, when she was abandoned in the Donetsk region after the Russian invasion was
After spending nine months in a holding facility in Poland, the lioness and her three cubs, who escaped the bombs in Ukraine, were driven 2,000 miles to their new residence in God’s Own Country. The animals managed to evade the Russian Bombs in Donetsk a year ago .
They can now enjoy grass, trees and fresh air, after being held in a small indoor enclosure where the cubs have had little experience of the outside world. Often in distress in the holding facility, they’d hiss as people who came near them.
The seven month operation to bring the lions to the UK finally came to a conclusion with them arriving back in March It’s said the lions will spend the first few weeks being rehabilitated by staff and will be out of sight of the public until they’re ready to enter their new reserve.
Watch as the new additions enjoy their new enclosure:
