When Russia invaded Ukraine we reported on a number of deadly impacts on animals. The destruction of habitat, sanctuaries, zoos and individual animals caused an international reaction to the disaster. Three Ukrainian lions are the latest to find sanctuary in another country.
The situation is not over. The latest news is about three lions who have had to be pulled from their homes in zoos and brought to France for safety. According to Newsweek the three lions were brought from a combat zone to Parc de L”Auxois in Burgundy. According to Trip Advisor the zoo meets “animal welfare standards.” Visitor comments suggest the facility combines both a standard zoological park and features where visitors can closely interact with animals.
Newsweek said” The three lions have arrived at a French zoo and aquarium named Parc de l’Auxois in Burgundy after traveling 88 hours from the Eastern European country, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) reported Friday.
The lions named Atlas, Luladja and Queen were moved to a Wild Animal Rescue center near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv before animal rescuers were able to arrange transportation to France by crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border.
“Animals, like humans, are in danger of being hit by shelling and missile attacks, or debris thereof – especially when in war zones, but even also outside of active zones,” Annelyn Close, a spokesperson for IFAW, told Newsweek. “The explosions and shock of some of the warfare can have serious repercussions.”
Atlas in particular, was in a dire state when he was found and rescued. After sounds of nearby bombing, the male lion became extremely aggressive, having also been locked in a tiny, concrete enclosure. He was kept by a private owner and found to be extremely overweight with injuries.
“His aggressive behavior is thought to result from all the stress he has experienced from being exposed to long-term warfare. Animals do not know what is happening, can’t run away and have no way to express or vent pent up stress – especially in the case of Atlas being stuck in a small cage,” Close said. “In addition, private owners who are often illegally keeping wild animals will have had to flee the war themselves and where you perhaps can bring a small cat or dog with you during an evacuation, you certainly cannot take a wild animal with you. So, the animal gets left behind and is at risk of starvation, dehydration and hypothermia.”
The other two female lions were rescued from the Eastern front of Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has been raging on ever since Russia invaded in February 2022. Since then, not just humans, but all the animals in Ukraine have suffered.
Animals in zoos are not the only ones at risk from the warfare happening in Ukraine. There are many exotic big cats being kept as pets across the country, a problem that animal welfare charities had been looking to tackle even before the war broke out.” Links in original
Other posts on the dire impact of the war can be found here. For an idea of how Ukrainian wildlife was rebounding pre-war click here.
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