Eleven lions have been rescued from Ukraine in what has been described as the largest rescue of lions from a war zone. The big cats started their journey into their new lives last night at shelters across the US and South Africa.
The lions had spent months in Romania after being taken by road to temporary shelters following complex rescue operations to pluck them from Ukraine.
The Boeing Dreamliner carrying the lions took off from Bucharest airport on Tuesday and stops in Doha before the animals split into two groups.
A troop of seven adults and two cubs then goes to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.
Two more lions are brought to the Simbonga Game Reserve and Sanctuary in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Lionel De Lange, director of Warriors of Wildlife, and his friend Reon Human travel with the big cats.
De Lange told Metro: “The lions will be flown to Doha and from there the cats will be divided into two shipments, one to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in the United States and Mir and Simba to my sanctuary in South Africa. Simbonga.
“There has never been a rescue of so many lions from a war zone and we are just so thankful we got to this point.
“We are extremely grateful to all the governments involved in processing the permits for the lions to travel, it is amazing that it was all done in four months.
“We’re super tired, but we’re super happy we got to this point.
“The lions are in the cargo hold below us and we travel with them.
“As with every save we do, there’s an incredible feeling of knowing they’re going to a good place.”
The pride of nine lions was at risk from Russian attacks in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa after Vladimir Putin launched his invasion in February.
They left their former home in Ukraine on May 24 and were driven to Romania in a convoy.
The other group of two lions, Simba and Mir, were rescued from Ukraine in March and have been in temporary shelters ever since.