In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, there have been reports of animal abuse in zoos in many parts of Ukraine. Meanwhile, four lion cubs were found abandoned in different parts of the country. Weeks after being rescued from a war zone, they are now taking refuge in a US wildlife sanctuary.
Only four and five months old lion cubs were rescued from here. Among them, the lion cubs, named Taras, Stefania and Lasya, were found in the Odesa region. Prada, the fourth lion cub, was rescued from Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. But it is unclear what happened to their mothers.
After finding the animals, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Wildcat Sanctuary were trying to bring them to a safe place. They were first brought from Ukraine to the Poznan Zoo in Poland. They remained in the zoo for three weeks. Later, preparations were made to take them to a wildlife sanctuary in the United States. Funds were raised for the same and approvals were obtained from the administrative level.
The lion cubs were brought to Chicago after a twelve and a half hour flight. From there, he traveled by road for more than seven hours and reached the wildlife sanctuary. After checking the health status of the lion cubs, they are kept in a room equipped to prevent them from getting cold. After acclimatization to the sanctuary environment, they are released into the wider habitat.
American-born veterinarian Andrew Kushnir, who accompanied the lion cubs throughout their journey from Ukraine to Poland, also captured the footage of the journey. Meredith Whitney, who led the rescue mission, says that the lion cubs have gone through more suffering than any other animal has experienced in such a short time after being born. They were born in a breeding center in Ukraine during the height of the war. They were abandoned when they were only weeks old.
English Summary: Ukraine’s orphaned lion cubs finally find a home in US sanctuary