On Friday morning the team left with the three lions back to the Netherlands. At the Ukrainian-Polish border they had to wait 12 hours. “That mainly had to do with checking documents.”
The animals were continuously monitored during the trip. “But they weathered it well,” says Van der Ham.
Safe place to recover
“We are happy that we can offer these animals a safe place,” says Robert Kruijff, director of the Lion Foundation. “After intensive preparation, we can now give them the peace, care and attention they need. The well-being of the animals comes first during the entire process.”
Now that the animals are in the Netherlands, they are first housed in the foundation’s quarantine facility. There they can recover, they are examined by a veterinarian and they can get used to their new caregivers.
After thirty days they can go to the main building with indoor and outdoor accommodation. There it is checked whether they are ready for the next and final step.
The ultimate goal is to offer the lions a permanent home at sister organization The Lions Foundation in South Africa.