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As you might know, Tsar and Jamil’s misery started as cubs. Born in a zoo they were ripped from their mother to ‘entertain’ visitors at a petting farm. I can’t bear to think about it – it must have been torment. In the wild, lion cubs spend at least two years with their mums, who are fiercely protective parents.

The unnatural separation was carried out simply to make money and it had a tragic effect on the exploited brothers, who became malnourished and sickly. They should have nursed from their mother for months – removing cubs so young causes nutritional deficiencies and life-threatening problems, like bone issues, nerve damage and difficulty walking. The stress of being repeatedly manhandled by visitors causes extreme fatigue and diarrhoea to young cubs – making Tsar and Jamil even more vulnerable.  

There are, of course, emotional effects too – cubs separated from their mother have high stress rates and develop separation anxiety. Their poor mum must have been traumatised.  

Our team in the UK and our Natuurhulpcentrum* colleagues in Belgium (giving Tsar and Jamil a temporary haven) are busy securing the paperwork needed to transport two young lions across the globe.

Above: Tsar and Jamil as young cubs at the rescue centre in Kyiv.