Caption: Rescuer heads back to Ukraine in British ambulance to save zoo animals from Russians
Provider: Lionel De Lange/WoW

An animal rescuer who has evacuated 11 lions from Ukraine is due to head back to the warzone in a repurposed British ambulance to save more creatures from the Russian invasion. 

Lionel De Lange plans to deliver aid to humans and undertake a rapid operation to save a leopard and jaguar at risk of being stolen or slaughtered by the Kremlin’s forces. 

The latest mission comes after his Warriors of Wildlife (WoW) group, together with other organisations and individuals, relocated a pride of nine lions to the US, with the other two big cats going to his lush sanctuary in South Africa.  

The non-profit group has also rescued a bear, a wolf and cats and dogs since the full-scale attack began on February 24 last year.  

Mr De Lange, 57, had been living in Kherson when war broke out and has since made five journeys back to the warzone, clocking up thousands of road miles in trips to dangerous frontline areas and temporary holding facilities in Romania. 

He told Metro.co.uk that he is determined to continue showing ‘compassion’ to animals and humans, a year on from the start of the war

‘We have bought a retired British ambulance which is currently sitting just outside Kyiv and we are going to use it to take aid to where it’s needed,’ Mr De Lange said.

Lionel De Lange with friend Reon Human (centre) and Csaba Borsos, the mayor’s assistant in Targu Mures, Romania (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)

‘It can carry three and a half tonnes, it’s not an awful lot compared to what other organisations are doing but it’s three and a half tonnes that a village might not have. Then we will rescue animals, and people if needs be, and take them to safer areas. 

‘I’m going straight down south to my old city, Kherson, where they desperately need help as they’re basically being shelled nearly every day.

‘The animal shelters are struggling and the people are struggling, so we’ll take in whatever we can. When I lived there, I bought a trailer to move animals around in and I’m hoping it hasn’t been stolen or destroyed, because then we’ll be able to hook it up around the ambulance and tow stuff around the country.’ 

The lion relocation is thought to be the biggest ever rescue of the species by plane from a war zone. In a hugely complicated undertaking, the big cats were temporarily relocated to Romania before being flown to Doha in the hold of a Boeing Dreamliner.  

The converted British ambulance that Warriors of Wildlife has bought to carry out humanitarian work and rescue animals (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)

From there, the pride of seven adults and two cubs was transferred to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado while adult males Simba and Mir were taken to Mr De Lange’s Simbonga Game Reserve and Sanctuary in the Eastern Cape. 

Aside from the obvious perils of bombs and bullets, the dangers faced by captive animals also include their keepers running out of money to feed and care for them and the risk of being stolen by occupying forces. Keepers who have stayed behind have also been in the firing line, including two workers found holding carrots and dog food after being allegedly being murdered by Russian troops in Kharkiv.

In November, video footage showed Russian lion park owner Oleg Zubkov stealing live creatures including a llama and a racoon from Kherson Zoo. 

Other animals, including two camels, a kangaroo, a bison, some piglets, birds and wolves were slaughtered by the occupiers before the city was liberated, according to local authorities.

Zukov, who owns Taigan Lion Park in Crimea, was convicted of negligence last year after one of his tigers bit a one-year-old boy’s finger off.

The so-called ‘Lion Man’ claimed that he had been given permission to carry out a ‘temporary evacuation’ of the animals out of the warzone.  

‘Zukov is a notorious animal trader and breeder with a big place full of lions in Sevastopol,’ Mr De Lange said.

‘He came in with a team and they stole all the animals. We are afraid that will happen in other places where we have worked in the past.’ 

While the Kherson trip will focus primarily on humanitarian aid and care for domestic and stray animals, Mr De Lange plans to use the ambulance to rescue a black leopard, which belongs to a critically endangered species, and a jaguar from another settlement. 

He anticipates that the location, which lies to the south-east of Kharkiv, will be liberated by Ukrainian forces in coming weeks.

Simba in Romania ahead of his relocation to a haven in South Africa (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/Facebook/@wowukr)

The sanctuary owner, who is due to set off in a fortnight, plans to be no farther than a three-day drive away as he carries out the relief work in areas heavily damaged by the Russians.  

‘All the permits are in place but the town is occupied by the Russians, so we are waiting for the Ukrainians to push them back,’ he said.

‘As soon as that happens we are going to rush in and pick up those two animals along with three big Italian mastiffs and take them out.  

‘I’ll be sitting there a couple of kilometres back from the frontline and when they get there we’ll go in to pick up the animals quickly and make a run for the west. My biggest concern is whether they are still alive, we have been told that they are, but the information is sketchy.

They are prized animals and as the Russians are, if they can’t have something by towing it away, they just destroy it.

Lionel De Lange, founder of Warriors of Wildlife, is shown on the left next to British vet Gemma Campling with animal rescuer Tom, of Breaking the Chains, on the front right (Picture: Nathan Lainé/Magnus News)

‘If you look at the places that have been liberated within 24 hours the Russians are shelling and bombing the place, which is why it is important to help in the places which are liberated as quickly as possible.’ 

Amid devastating loss of life and a refugee exodus unprecedented in modern Europe, international efforts to save animals have been a constant part of the war’s backdrop. 

British humanitarian volunteers Tim Locks and Jonathan Weaving are among those who have carried out mercy missions, carrying out the initial rescue of Simba from a frontline area in eastern Ukraine and driving the big cat in a van to Romania.

The team involved in the final lion extraction effort pose with Lionel De Lange (centre left) ahead of the flight (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)

‘It’s a compassion thing,’ Mr De Lange said. ‘I just love animals and I don’t think they should be abused in any way, shape or form.

‘They don’t ask to be there and a lot of owners have died staying in their homes and the animals have managed to survive. Other owners just ran for the border and left their animals behind, which I can understand as I was in the same situation waking up to shelling on the 24th.

‘Even for the animals which have shelter there’s very little food around and if there is it’s enormously expensive.  

‘The people who are looking after animals in shelters and in the streets are some of the poorest people, so we will be doing all we can to help reduce the load.’ 

Simba looks alert as he settles into his new home at a wildlife reserve in South Africa after being repatriated (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)

Mir is getting used to an outdoor reserve that gives him the freedom to roam (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)

A guiding principle of WoW is that animals should never be left in zoos, making the long-distance relocations necessary. 

Mr De Lange said Simba and Mir were settling in well at his 14,000-square metre reserve where they have a more natural habitat and weather.

‘Before they arrived Simba was the big tough guy and Mir was very calm and just got on with staying alive,’ Mr De Lange said.

‘At first Simba was completely terrified of his surroundings being a big cat who had never walked on grass or heard wind howling through the trees, he’d always been on tarmac and cement and behind bars.

‘It took four weeks before he ventured out of his night shelter, which we used as safe spaces for the lions when they first arrive so they can get used to the sights, sounds and smells.

‘After about six and a half weeks he just blossomed and found his roar.

‘They have both been out exploring and are doing very well. The sanctuary is like heaven compared to what they were used to.’

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Lionel De Lange is heading back to the frontline after taking part in the rescue of 11 lions since the full-scale invasion began.