Four baby lions born during the war in Ukraine have arrived safely at a wildlife sanctuary in Minnesota, USA, after escaping drone strikes and bombing.
The Associated Press reported on the 1st (local time) that four baby lions born during the war in Ukraine have passed through Poland and landed in a new home at a wildlife sanctuary in Minnesota, USA.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), four baby lions (Taras, Stefania, Lesya, Prada), including one male and three female lions, were born during the war in Ukraine and separated from their mother within a few weeks. They said they had to avoid bombing and drone strikes.
Three of these puppies were born to one mother from Odesa and the other two from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Their whereabouts and death are unknown.
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"About 200 lions were born in Ukraine and orphaned within weeks as the war escalated," said Meredith Whitney, wildlife rescue program manager at IFAW. said.
Since most felines raised in captivity cannot be released back into the wild, the IFAW began working with other organizations to rescue the pups by moving them to legal shelters.
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▲ Baby lions being moved to a U.S. sanctuary
One of the most helpful people on the pups' journey was Dr. Andrew Kushnir, a veterinarian.
Based on his experience caring for cats, he took good care of them until they arrived safely at the sanctuary, preparing customized milk powder every three hours even during the war, and warming up milk bottles with the warmth of his limbs on days when there was a power outage.
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▲ Dr. Andrew Kushnir takes good care of the lion cubs
The baby lions arrived at Chicago's O'Hara International Airport on the afternoon of the 30th of last month after a nine-hour flight to the United States via Poland, and were subsequently moved to a new nest after undergoing quarantine procedures.
Their new home is The Wildcat Sanctuary, about 145 kilometers north of Minneapolis, Minnesota's largest city.
Part of the funding, including airfare to get them here, came from donations from the New York-based Andrew Sabin Family Foundation.
Meanwhile, the sanctuary shelters about 130 felines, including lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards, many of which have been rescued.
Here, the animals are allowed to roam in enclosures in the forest, closed to the public.
“Now the baby lions will be able to roam freely and take a rest in the vast grasslands,” said Tammy Tice, executive director of the sanctuary.
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▲ Baby lions safely arriving at the sanctuary and playing
(Photo = IFAW website, 'ifaw' YouTube, AP/Yonhap News)