Heartwarming moment lion walks on grass for the first time
A lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine was scared to wander out into the fresh air for the first time.
Heartwarming video has captured the moment a lioness stepped onto grass for the first time. She is one of five lions evacuated from war-torn Ukraine and flown 2,200km to the UK in August.
Video supplied to Yahoo News by International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) captures the moment the sheepish predator ventures out from her cage for the first time a week ago. It’s believed she’s never had space to walk around or felt fresh air on her face, and so understandably she was slow to venture outside.
After the gate is opened, for more than 90 seconds Yuna simply stands at the edge of her cage. She then takes a tentative step forward and sits on the threshold, allowing only the front half of her body to be exposed to the elements.
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Exciting moment big cat touches grass for first time
It takes two minutes before she builds up the confidence to step onto the grass. Once she feels it under her paws, the lioness spins around, adjusting to the new sensation.
Watching her explore her new home at the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent is fascinating. She spends time sniffing a tuft of grass, then paces excitedly around her cage. Later she can be seen standing out in the rain, unfazed about getting wet. You can watch the full video below.
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Yuna was rescued from a house in Ukraine by IFAW after she suffered from shell shock and loss of coordination after a blast in January.
Several other big cats are awaiting transportation to the Kent facility while funds are raised to build new enclosures. Because they were raised in captivity, it’s believed the animals would not survive in the wild, so they cannot be released.
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