Four lion cubs rescued from Ukraine were flown from Poland to a sanctuary in Minnesota, on Tuesday, according to a release from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), a global nonprofit animal rescue organization.
The four cubs — one male and three females — were born during the war in Ukraine at breeding facilities and orphaned at a few weeks old, according to the IFAW.
“These cubs have endured more in their short lives than any animal should,” said Meredith Whitney, wildlife rescue program manager at IFAW.
According to the release, the cubs survived sporadic bombings and drone attacks in Ukraine.
After a nine-hour flight, the cubs landed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport around noon local time on Tuesday. Once they cleared customs, the cubs were met by care staff from The Wildcat Sanctuary to transport them from the airport to the sanctuary in Sandstone, Minnesota, the release said.
According to the release, the cubs will now live together as a pride at the sanctuary, which has a specially designed habitat for lions.
“From the moment IFAW reached out to request our partnership, we knew these cubs had found their forever home at our sanctuary,” said Tammy Thies, founder and executive director of The Wildcat Sanctuary. “They have a custom, open space to explore and soft grass or hay to rest their tired bodies on.”
