Lion Cubs Rescued From Ukraine Arrive at US Wildlife Sanctuary
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said this week that four lion cubs rescued from the war in Ukraine had successfully been treated in Poland and transported to a big cat sanctuary in the United States.
Cubs Taras, Stefania, Lesya, and Prada are between four and five months old and spent the three weeks before their journey to Sandstone, Minnesota, recuperating at the Poznan Zoo in Poland, IFAW said.
They were flown to the US on November 29 and met by care staff from their new home, the Minnesota-based Wildcat Sanctuary (TWS).
“We’ve cared for 300 big cats at TWS and are acutely aware of the trauma many big cats around the world experience,” said the sanctuary’s founder and executive director, Tammy Thies.
The cubs, two female and two male, will have “a custom, open space to explore and soft grass or hay to rest their tired bodies on,” Thies said.
“Because of the generosity of our supporters, we can provide lifelong care to big cats at our sanctuary.”
All four cubs were born in Ukrainian breeding facilities and orphaned at a few weeks old, IFAW Wildlife Rescue program manager Meredith Whitney explained.
This footage is a compilation of photos of the cubs’ arrival in the United States. Credit: IFAW via Storyful
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