Animal sanctuary opens ‘forever home’ for five lions rescued from Ukraine

Five “neglected” lions rescued from Ukraine have been welcomed to their new UK home where four of them have stepped on grass for the first time.

The Lion Rescue Centre was officially opened at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent on Tuesday by the charity’s ambassador Paul Hollywood.

A fundraising campaign collected £500,000 to build the centre which is the “forever home” for the lions Rori, Amani, Lira, Vanda and Yuna.

“These beautiful cats have been severely neglected, confined to concrete enclosures, used for illegal breeding or kept as family pets.

“Their new habitats have been specially designed to provide each lion with the ideal environment to rest and recuperate.

“Each lion has individual needs due to their previous hardships, and Cam and his team will ensure they receive the physical and psychological care needed to recover from their ordeal.

“For example, Yuna’s environment has been designed to accommodate her neurological and coordination challenges, with no high platforms and a more gentle slope to climb.”

Cam Whitnall, managing director of The Big Cat Sanctuary, said: “We are so relieved to have these lions safe and settled in their forever home.

“Seeing their feet touch the grass for the first time in our state-of-the-art Lion Rescue Centre was an emotional moment for all involved. Nervous at first, all five cats are now starting to relax, play and explore their new habitat.”

Rori was previously living in a private menagerie and was believed to be used for illegal breeding.

The three-year-old male also could not stand, likely due to shell shock.

Females Amani and Lira, each about three years old, are sisters who were rescued together after being illegally bred and used for photo exploitation purposes.