Latest news with #YorkshireWildlifePark
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Endangered amur leopard cubs take first steps outdoors at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Doncaster, United Kingdom – July 17, 2025 – Two 12-week-old Amur leopard cubs made their outdoor debut. The rare cubs, one male and one female, were born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in spring 2025. This marks a key step in their development under the care of mother Kristen and park staff.
Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Rescue operation launched to save 'terrified' lions caught in Ukraine crossfire
Natalia Popova, a Ukrainian rescue worker, said animals are facing 'shelling every day', which has prompted some to fling themselves at their cage bars and refuse to eat Three young lions waiting to be rescued from war-torn Ukraine are so terrified by daily shelling that they are refusing to eat and flinging themselves against their cage bars. The trio are expected to be saved later this month after Yorkshire Wildlife Park get the go ahead. They have been working tirelessly to arrange the paperwork to allow them permission to bring the lions back to the UK. But it is a race against time as workers at the Kyiv rescue and rehabilitation centre warn it is "important" they are evacuated "as soon as possible'. Rescue worker, Natalia Popova, told The Mirror: 'We have shelling every day and I am very scared for the animals. They are very scared. They get nervous, hit the bars of the cage, and some refuse to eat.' Yorkshire Wildlife Park are appealing to the British public to help bring stricken Oleg, Rafael and Shanti, to safety. The centre in Ukraine has rescued thousands of animals since Russia invaded. More than 250 of them have been sent to European countries and the US, England and South Africa. They currently have 44 wild animals including three tigers, two lynx. Park CEO John Minion said: 'We are urgently trying to arrange the trip to Ukraine in order to rescue the lions as soon as possible. It is vital that we get all the paperwork submitted soon, as the ongoing war in Kyiv continues to put the lions in danger.' The trio who have 'survived against all odds' are currently in a Rescue and Rehabilitation centre in Kyiv and are thought to be about nine months old. They have been through hell since they were born with siblings Rafael and Shanti discovered in the Kharkiv region next to their dying mother. The tragic lioness who had been abandoned in a private menagerie and starved. The third lion, Oleg, is all alone after being rescued as a cub from private owners, who fled the Sumy region during the escalation of war. YWP have been told he was raised by humans but desperately in need of connections with other lions. Now The WildLife Foundation, the charity based at the park, is launching an appeal to fund their rescue and the 2000 mile journey to Doncaster. It is the third rescue undertaken by Yorkshire Wildlife Park which has previously seen 17 rescue lions brought to Lion Country, their seven-acre reserves. The park has a history of rescuing lions around the world starting with a mercy mission to save 13 Romanian lions back in 2010. These lions were flown back to the UK after the British public backed the rescue. Sadly Carla and Crystal, the two remaining Romanian lions, recently died. The success of this first rescue encouraged park bosses to take on a second lion rescue in 2024. The Mirror joined their experts to bring Aysa and her cubs, Emi, Santa and Teddi, now nearly 3 years old, back to the UK from Poland. They arrived at the Doncaster wildlife park after travelling more than 2,000 miles across six countries. The lions were found abandoned in the Donetsk region of Ukraine after the Russian invasion. They were left cowering in fear amid the bombs, alone with no food and water. The little pride was taken to a rescue centre in Poland but the cubs had to be separated from mum. For months they lived in concrete pens next to their mum but unable to see the sky or go outside because of a shortage of space. They are now thriving in Lion Country and Aysa has since given birth to three more cubs. YWP CEO John Minion said: 'We are looking forward to welcoming the new lions to the park and proud to be rescuing lions for the third time.' The WildLife Foundation has played a key role in raising funds to support the rescues, transportations and rehabilitations of the lions. Trustee Cheryl Williams said: 'We are extremely proud of our previous rescues, and it is rewarding to see all of the lions settle into their home in Yorkshire. We hope that Oleg, Rafael and Shanti will enjoy the quality of life they deserve here. We would greatly appreciate any donation, however big or small, to help us bring Oleg, Rafael and Shanti to safety at the park.'
BBC News
30-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Yorkshire Wildlife Park appeals for cash to rescue Ukraine lions
The Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) has launched an appeal to rescue three lions from Ukraine. The wildlife park, in Doncaster, has announced it intends to create a fund to help rescue animals impacted by war, natural disasters, or illegal first rescue mission will be focused on Oleg, and siblings, Rafael and Shanti, who are all currently living in captivity in Ukraine. The lions would be brought back to the wildlife park in the UK by the YWP's animal welfare charity, the WildLife Foundation. On the Easy Donate fundraising website, YWP describes how Oleg was rescued as a cub from private owners who fled the Sumy region of Ukraine as the war escalated. Raised by humans, he currently lives alone in a rescue facility due to lack of space. Siblings Rafael and Shanti were found in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine beside their dying mother, having been abandoned in a private menagerie, YWP said. According to wildlife specialists, bringing Oleg, Rafael and Shanti to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park would be "transformative" for marks the continuance of similar work last year. In 2024, the YWP rescued a lioness and her three cubs after they were were abandoned in Ukraine when the war broke out. Donations from the public helped to pay for emergency transport, vet care and rehabilitation. In March this year it was revealed mating between the mother and one of her sons had led to the birth of three lion 2010, the YWP rescued 13 lions from Romania. The last two lions were euthanised earlier this year because of age-related illnesses. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
UK wildlife park on mission to save lions who 'beat all odds' in Ukraine
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is urging the British public to help their mercy mission to save lions from Ukraine Three young lions stranded in war-torn Ukraine are being rescued by a British wildlife charity and park. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is appealing to the British public to help bring stricken Oleg, Rafael and Shanti, to safety. The trio who have 'survived against all odds' are currently in a rescue and rehabilitation centre in Kyiv and are thought to be about nine months old. The lions have been through hell since they were born, with siblings Rafael and Shanti discovered in the Kharkiv region next to their dying mother. The tragic lioness who had been abandoned in a private menagerie and starved. The third lion, Oleg, is all alone after being rescued as a cub from private owners, who fled the Sumy Oblast region during the escalation of war. YWP has been told he was raised by humans but desperately in need of connections with other lions. Now The WildLife Foundation, the charity based at the park, is launching an appeal to fund their rescue and the 2000-mile journey to Doncaster. It is the third rescue undertaken by Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which has previously seen 17 rescue lions brought to Lion Country, its seven-acre reserve. Director of Animals, Charlotte MacDonald, revealed: 'We are delighted to be able to support another lion rescue and save these beautiful lions who have not had the best start in life. 'Oleg and Rafael and Shanti will meet for the first time to live in a proper pride-like setting for the first time. Oleg currently lives alone and so we are looking forward to introducing him to the others. 'Rafael and Shanti survived against all odds and are now inseparable, gentle and curious around people. They will live safely together in their new home in Yorkshire.' The park has a history of rescuing lions around the world, starting with a mercy mission to save 13 Romanian lions back in 2010. These lions were flown back to the UK after the British public backed the rescue. Sadly Carla and Crystal, the two remaining Romanian lions, recently died. The success of this first rescue encouraged park bosses to take on a second lion rescue in 2024. The Mirror joined their experts to bring Aysa and her cubs, Emi, Santa and Teddi, now nearly three years old, back to the UK from Poland. They arrived at the Doncaster wildlife park after travelling more than 2,000 miles across six countries. The lions were found abandoned in the Donetsk region of Ukraine after the Russian invasion. They were left cowering in fear amid the bombs, alone with no food and water. The little pride was taken to a rescue centre in Poland but the cubs had to be separated from mum. For months they lived in concrete pens next to their mum but unable to see the sky or go outside because of a shortage of space. They are now thriving in Lion Country and Aysa has since given birth to three more cubs. YWP CEO John Minion said: 'We are looking forward to welcoming the new lions to the park and proud to be rescuing lions for the third time.' The WildLife Foundation has played a key role in raising funds to support the rescues, transportations and rehabilitations of the lions. Trustee Cheryl Williams said: 'We are extremely proud of our previous rescues, and it is rewarding to see all of the lions settle into their home in Yorkshire 'We hope that Oleg, Rafael and Shanti will enjoy the quality of life they deserve here. 'We are really grateful for all donations to The Foundation. However big or small, they make a huge difference to animals around the world and our rescues would not have been possible without the support.'
The Guardian
06-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Week in wildlife: an elephant goes shopping and a tiger gets a pedicure
Bulk order … a male elephant named Plai Biang Lek gets stuck in to the sweet rice crackers at a shop in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand Photograph: Kanokporn Sriboon/AP Swans and their cygnets in Hyde Park, London, UK Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images A humpback whale makes its way down the east coast of Australia, as seen from Manly Beach, north of Sydney Photograph: John Goodridge Extreme pedicure … vets tend to Tschuna, an Amur tiger, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, UK. The 17-stone (108kg) tiger had an ingrown toenail, or rather claw, and was briefly anaesthetised for the operation. 'Tschuna came back round relatively quickly and should have a speedy recovery, though she probably has a bit of a headache from the anaesthetic,' said Dr Charlotte MacDonald, the park's director of animals Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA A moth emerges from a cocoon while hanging from a clothesline in the gardens of the Natural History Museum in Mexico City, Mexico Photograph: Marco Ugarte/AP A deer peers out from Catherine Chevalier woods, in Chicago, Illinois, US. The forest enclave supports a variety of wildlife despite its position right next to O'Hare International, one of the world's busiest airports Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images An aerial view of a stork with two chicks on their nest, situated on a high-voltage line mast in Bouée, western France Photograph: Loïc Venance/AFP/Getty Images A great horned owl in Bernal Heights, San Francisco, California, US. The owl family, whose nest is less well hidden than most, has become a sensation in the neighbourhood. 'A bunch of us have been keeping an eye on the chicks, they're fluffy,' one resident told a local TV station. 'They're pretty chill during the day, but if you come out at dusk, they'll start rockin' and rolling.' Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images A bee explores the flowers in the woods of Dunsden, Oxfordshire, UK Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock A bee-eater hunts in Bursa, Turkey. They have a complex hunting process that involves plucking a bee out of the air with their beak, stunning it by smacking its head on a branch, then rubbing its bottom against the branch to remove the stinger and flush out the poison before eating Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images This dramatic face-off between a fox and an eagle was the winner in the wildlife category of National Geographic Traveller UK's photography competition. Photographer Victoria Andrews said: 'I took this image in Toledo, Spain. I didn't have to wait more than an hour before the Bonelli's eagle flew in and perched on an old tree stump. The bird preened and posed, then raised its wings in a defensive stance. That's when I saw the fox approaching. The fox came closer and closer, until they were almost nose to nose' Photograph: Victoria Andrews/Nat Geo/SWNS A heron hunts on the pond in Dublin's botanical gardens, Ireland Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Fishermen and conservation workers lift a disgruntled loggerhead sea turtle into a car after it was caught by a fishing boat in Watamu, Kenya. The turtle will be taken for observation in a rehabilitation centre before being released back into the ocean Photograph: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images Flipper flop … Pickle, a sea lion, rests on the Costa Rican shoreline after being released back into the wild – appropriately enough, only a few days before World Oceans Day, which is Sunday. He was the first sea lion ever to be looked after by that branch of International Animal Rescue, since the mammals are not native to Costa Rica's Pacific coast; they occasionally turn up there due to shifting ocean currents Photograph: International Animal Rescue A red soldier beetle climbs the stem of a wildflower on Hutchinson's Bank in New Addington, Croydon, UK. Managed by the London Wildlife Trust, this area of secluded chalk grassland and woodland is one of the best spots in the country to see butterflies. About 42 of the UK's 59 species have been recorded here Photograph:A common blue rests on leaves at Hutchinson's Bank in New Addington, Croydon, UK Photograph:A wolf pup found in the wild is fed by a conservation worker in Bingöl, eastern Turkey. The pup will be re-released after its treatment is completed Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images A Przewalski's horse runs free in a reserve in Kabak, Kazakhstan, having been transported from Hungary as part of a five-year plan to restore the endangered species to its historic habitat. The animals are the last remaining truly wild horses on the planet Photograph: Attila Kovács/EPA A glamorous lionfish swims in Antalya, Turkey. They are venomous, but can be eaten by humans if prepared correctly. ('Wear puncture-resistant gloves,' advises the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.) Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images These London fox cubs, which have appeared in Week in Wildlife several times this spring, seem to be getting bigger by the day. They are about 11 weeks old now, and still enjoy play-fighting and chasing Photograph: Anna Watson/Alamy Live News Cattle wade in floodwater during the rise of the Solimões River in the state of Amazonas, Brazil Photograph: Bruno Kelly/Reuters Roe by roe … two deer wander through a poppy field near Cholderton in the Bourne Valley of Wiltshire, UK. Photograph: Nick Bull/
