Lion Rescue 3
Award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park has welcomed three Lion cubs who were left stranded in war-torn Ukraine.
27 September 2025
The rescued Lions arrived this morning after a three-day road trip from Kyiv.
Stricken Oleg, Rafael and Shanti, all one-year-old, had spent months in a Rescue and Rehabilitation centre cowering in terror at the daily bombings.
The Wildlife Foundation, which is the charity based at the park, raised the funds to cover the specialist transport costs for the 1,700 mile trip.
Their journey was interrupted by a 15 hour wait at the Polish border before crossing the channel by ferry. Tearful rangers watched as the trio were released from their transport crates into their new home.
They will now be checked over by the park vet and stay indoors before being released to the safety of the seven acres ‘Lion Country’ when they are settled enough.
WildLife Foundation Trustee Cheryl Williams said: “Their arrival has been incredible, absolutely amazing.”
“This is the third rescue I’ve been involved in and to see them come out so quickly was just incredible. Rafael and Shanti had never been apart before, so witnessing the moment they were reunited was truly beautiful. I feel so happy and relieved knowing they’re finally safe and away from the bombing.”
“The previous Lions that came out of Ukraine last March are extremely interested in the youngsters who have just arrived, they are definitely the noisy neighbours. They are really curious.”
She added: “The Lions that came last year are one big happy family and have settled into Lion Country at the park brilliantly."
Ms Williams now hopes the new arrivals will settle in just as well, adding: “The first pride of Lions from Ukraine settled in so well and it has made such a massive difference to their quality of life, so we are confident we can do the same for Oleg, Rafael and Shanti.
“We are hoping we can introduce Oleg to the other two but it will be a steady process and they have to settle in first before we can start to introduce them to each other.”
“The two that are back together are now happy and I think they will make the fastest progress. Oleg is a bit nervous because he has not got a friend with him but hopefully, he can bond with others in the future.”
Head of Carnivores, Bex Brown, said: “I’m ecstatic and so glad they are finally here, their forever home. I don’t think we can imagine how traumatic their experiences have been.”
“I am relieved they are settling in so well.”
Oleg was rescued as a cub from private owners who fled the Sumy region during the escalation of war. He was raised by humans but longs for connections with other Lions.
Siblings, Rafael and Shanti, were found in the Kharkiv region next to their dying mother, a Lioness who had been abandoned in a private menagerie and starved.
They were transported from Ukraine by Cross Border Animal services. Owner Geert Wijnands was relieved the lions were finally safe.
He said: “They are tired because it’s been a long trip. We were held up for 15 hours at the Polish border.”
“But they are fine now. They have a big space so they will be happy here. Animal welfare is our first priority and to see them doing fine is so important.
“The big male was very nervous, but I think he’s had missiles near him, but he will be fine now. It’s now a matter of having a good sleep and rest, tomorrow is another day.”
As the new arrivals were moved into the Lion house, the existing pride saved by YWP last March, left their spots sunbathing on a hill in their enclosure to come and investigate their “new neighbours”.
All seven, including three new cubs, watched from just feet away from the other side of a wire fence, as the new trio moved in.
It is the third rescue undertaken by Yorkshire Wildlife Park which has seen 17 Lions brought to Lion Country over the years, the seven-acre habitat has three specially designed reserves.
The WildLife Foundation has played a key role in raising funds to support the rescues, transportations, veterinary costs and rehabilitations of the lions.
The first Lion rescue took place back in 2010, which brought 13 African Lions to the park.
Their rescue won international accolades for saving the Lions from horrific conditions in Romania and giving them a new home in Yorkshire.
The success of this encouraged the park to take on a second mission in 2024 with the rescue of Aysa and her cubs, Emi, Santa and Teddi, now nearly three years old.
YWP CEO John Minion said” “We are delighted to be welcoming the new Lions to the park and proud to be rescuing lions for the third time.
“It has been incredible to receive so many donations, helping us to carry out our mission to save the three lions.”
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which puts conservation at the heart of all its activities, offers visitors a unique walkthrough experience coming almost face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful and rare species, including Amur Leopards and Tigers, Giraffes, Sea Lions and Black Rhinos.