Three lions rescued from Ukraine find new home in France

After traveling for nearly four days, three lions – a male and two females have arrived safely at Parc de l'Auxois near Dijon in Burgundy, France.

The rescued species will start a new life in Burgundy. After adaptation, they will live together in a 5,000-square-meter enclosure.

The male lion Atlas is a one-and-a-half-year-old lion, rescued after staying with the woman who had been taking care of him since birth. The animal began to show aggressive behavior, probably due to the frequent sounds of bombing.

The lion lived in his unsuitable small, concrete enclosure. He was found with wounds and was severely overweight.

The two females, Luladja and Queen, are about two years old and were rescued from Ukraine's eastern front.

The lions were placed in the Wildlife Rescue Center near Kyiv, and then, with the support of IFAW, they were taken to the Polish-Ukrainian border.

IFAW emphasizes that most of these predators, who grew up in captivity, cannot return to the wild because they do not have the skills to survive. Rescue organizations are working to find centers where the animals will be cared for for life.

"Atlas, Luladja and Queen are the unexpected victims of war – lions that should be in Africa, being kept in poor conditions in a country ravaged by war. At Parc de l'Auxois, a life of safety and security awaits them, and we are so relieved they are out of harm's way," says Natalia Gozak, Wildlife Rescue Field Officer (Ukraine) at IFAW.