Lions rescued in Kyiv arrive at Dutch NGO’s shelter in Spain

Young lions and an African wild dog rescued from a wildlife shelter in Kyiv last week arrived safely at a Stichting AAP shelter in Spain, the Dutch foundation announced on Thursday. The animals are safe and sound and seem to be doing well, the foundation said on Facebook.

"Here, we can continue to work on their recovery and provide these animals a beautiful and especially safe life," the foundation said on Facebook. "They are now in quarantine, where we can examine their condition better. After that, we expect to give them access to a beautiful outdoor habitat where they can enjoy the warm Spanish sun."

The lions and wild dog were rescued from the Wild Animal Rescue shelter near Kyiv by employees of the shelter, who risked their lives to make sure the animals were safe. They managed to sneak the animals across the border to Poland last Thursday, reportedly under fire from Russian soldiers. The animals spent a few days in Poland to recover from the journey and then continued on to the Stichting AAP shelter in Spain. The trip took about 25 hours, with regular stops to feed and water the animals. 

Stichting AAP said it received many heartwarming messages from people concerned about the animals. "Thank you so much for this!" The foundation asked for donations for the lions' and wild dog's care. According to the foundation, caring for a lion costs 75 euros a day and 35 euros per day for a wild dog.