Agriculture Minister David Clarinval declared two lions from a wildlife sanctuary in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, will be kept in Belgium’s Limburg province’s Nature Conservation Centre.
Russia’s full-scale military operation in Ukraine has affected the lives of all human beings and animals. As a precaution, the ‘Wild Animal Rescue’, a Kyiv-based receiving center for wild animals, had to evacuate a massive number of animals to the Polish border.
Along with this, the cabinet of Clarinval stated the Nature Aid Centre in Oudsbergen, Municipality in Belgium, has made the decision to take both of the lions’ named Tsar and Jamil. On Thursday, March 3, permission was granted by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) for an import permit.
Moreover, the Nature Aid Centre has made the declaration on its Facebook page, saying, “Great news! We just received the message that everyone, human and animal (six lions, two tigers, caracals,…), arrived safely in Poland. They are now heading for the Poznan Zoo, where they will be able to regain their strength for a few days after this exceptionally tough journey.”
When the animals arrive in Belgium, they have to spend approximately three of their months in the quarantine that is monitored by the FASFC local control unit. A veterinarian will also check their health status and will take the blood sample to test for rabies.
However, the lions will be inoculated against rabies and subjected to veterinary import control at the EU border before being transported.
The Nature Aid Organisation has made the statement that its transport truck is prepared for the journey to Poland to pick up Tsar and Jamil, “as soon as the animals are strong enough. This will probably be next week.”
The remaining animals will be relocated to other European sanctuaries.
Clarinval mentioned, “The events in Ukraine are dramatic and a source of suffering for many Ukrainians, including animals. Our solidarity with Ukraine is expressed in various ways.”
