5 lions rescued from the war in Ukraine settle into a new life in England
SMARDEN, England (AP) — One malnourished lioness had spent her life confined to an apartment. Another was so shell-shocked she could barely walk.
They are among five traumatized lions rescued from the war zone in Ukraine who are settling into a new home in England after an international effort to bring them to safety.
Male African lion Rori and lionesses Amani, Lira and Vanda arrived this month at the Big Cat Sanctuary after a 12-hour journey by road and ferry from temporary homes at zoos and animal shelters in Belgium. They join lioness Yuna, who arrived in August, at the sanctuary’s new Lion Rescue Center, which officially opens on Tuesday.
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“All of these five lions were originally from the illegal pet trade and wildlife trade,” said Cameron Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of London. “None of them came from zoos.”
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-rescued-lions-sanctuary-england-war-7bf5a41989489891153572c05be9a9d0
Not really a household pet.