Ukraine sends 11 lions to the US and South Africa

The stress caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been putting the wildlife in the region at risk. Warriors of Wildlife, in an effort to save lions, airlifted 11 of them and relocated them to the US and South Africa.

They were first taken by road to temporary shelters in Romania. After spending several months there, they will now be taken to sanctuaries in the US and South Africa, reported Metro.uk.

Lionel De Lang, founder and director of Warriors of Wildlife, said there's never been a single rescue of this many lions from a warzone. "We just feel so grateful that we have got to this point." The lions will be heavily sedated and placed in crates before the journey.

"We are extremely appreciative of all the governments involved in processing the permits for the lions to travel. It's amazing to have got it all done in four months," he added.

Seven adult lions and two cubs will be at Colorado's Wild Animal Sanctuary. The other two will be taken to Lang's sanctuary in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The split will happen after the entire group lands in Doha.