On March 10th, two lions, transported from Ukraine to Belgium at the beginning of the full-scale war, were transferred to the african nature reserve Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Tsar and Jamil will now live in the wild.
When the animals were young, they were rescued from the petting zoo of the Yasnohorodka farm in the Kyiv region. Due to improper living conditions and poor nutrition, the lion cubs developed rickets. They had bone fractures and numerous strains. UAnimals and the Wild Animals Rescue Center treated the lion cubs, and after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the team evacuated them abroad, to the rehabilitation center in Belgium. The animals lived there for two years.
In March, Tsar and Jamil traveled over 12,000 kilometers from their temporary home in Europe and finally reached South Africa, where they are looked after by the Born Free Foundation. Glen Vena, the foundation’s manager, says, “The lions are already enjoying the natural environment of Africa, the sights, sounds and especially the bushes: Jamil has been walking through them, cleaning his mane on them. We will take great care of them as they continue to adapt to their new life here in South Africa.”
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Photo: Born Free Foundation
