Lions and tigers pushed out of Ukraine to security in Polish zoo

WARSAW, March 3 (Reuters) – A truck carrying six lions, six tigers, two caracals and an African wild pet from a sanctuary east of Kyiv reached Poland on Thursday proper after a two-day drive to flee the Russian invasion, a Polish zoo formal claimed.

The operator of the sanctuary had requested for help from Poznan zoo in western Poland to get the animals to primary security.

“They needed to go a protracted means near to keep away from Zhytomyr and different bombardment zones. They skilled to vary again once more quite a few events, just because all of the roadways have been blown up, complete of holes, extraordinarily exhausting to maneuver with such cargo, which is why it took so prolonged,” claimed Poznan zoo spokesperson Malgorzata Chodyla.

“However listed right here they’re, and we simply aren’t capable of really feel it.”

A 1st try and make the journey failed quickly after the truck encountered Russian tanks and couldn’t get by way of.

Chodyla defined all of the animals, like tiger cubs, survived the prolonged journey, however the zoo was apprehensive a few 17-year-old female tiger who appeared extremely fatigued.

Serving to the driving force ended up 3 extra mature grownup males with no expertise in dealing with wild animals, and who had now lengthy gone again to Kyiv to guard their metropolis, she defined.

Quickly after the animals have gotten some rest in Poznan, they might probably trip further west. A Belgian sanctuary declared it could get within the six lions and the African wild pet, Chodyla added.

Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk enhancing by Alexandra Hudson

Our Expectations: The Thomson Reuters Perception Ideas.