The three-year-old Yuna had been kept with another lion near Kyiv, and was traumatized when debris from a Russian missile attack landed 300 meters (984ft) from their small enclosure.

On Friday, a truck carrying Yuna and another three-year old lion Rori arrived at an animal shelter in Belgium, having travelled from Ukraine through Poland and Germany.

While Yuna will continue her journey directly to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, where she is expected to arrive on Saturday, Rori will stay in Belgium for several months until his new enclosure at the sanctuary is ready.

During this time, three young lionesses—Vanda, Ama, and Lira—will join them.



Rori had been kept as part of a private menagerie which was liquidated after the Russian invasion and was allegedly used for illegal breeding.

One-year-old Vanda was kept as a pet in southeastern Ukraine, while Ama and Lira, also one, are believed to have been bred illegally.

“Ukraine is no stranger to tragedies now, and the stories of these big cats are equally tragic. I’m glad that at least these are heading to a safer place. The Big Cat Sanctuary has offered permanent homes to the lions, including Yuna, whom we were particularly concerned about due to her psychological issues,” said Natalia Gozak, who helped organize the rescue mission on behalf of the Kyiv-based Wild Animal Rescue organization and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Cam Whitnall from the Big Cat Sanctuary said: “It’s been a huge effort from everyone involved. We have worked night and day for many months for this very moment and we can’t wait to get them to their forever home now here at the sanctuary.”

In May, The Big Cat Sanctuary announced that they needed to raise £500,000 (€586,500) to transport the five lions, build enclosures for them, and provide veterinary care due to the trauma they suffered as a result of the Russian aggression.

So far, they have raised over £310,000 (€363,631).

The Sanctuary is home to about 40 animals, including tigers, cheetahs, and snow leopards.