Ruru, the young lion, was living in a stable on the outskirts of Kyiv when the mortar fire surprised his owner, who didn’t hesitate to abandon the cat and other exotic species he had in his possession. Ukrainian and Spanish activists have done their best to get this animal out of the war and into a new home in Alicante.
The Alicante AAP Primadomus Foundation rescued a three-year-old lion, Ruru, who was living in dire conditions on the outskirts of kyiv (Ukraine). When the area was bombed, its former owner fled, leaving the big cat at the mercy of war. Although he managed to survive, his life was quite sad, according to his current caretakers.
Before being rescued, the animal lived in a deplorable barn on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital. Its owner had other exotic species in his private collection, such as turtles or peacocks, and had built a cage for the lion, which received no cleaning or care.
“Animals from a past of captivity in conditions such as those in Ruru have multiple sequelae, both physical and psychological. Lack of proper nutrition is a good example of this, as it seriously affects the formation of your skeleton and muscles.”, says Pablo Delgado, responsible for the big cats area and director of the AAP Primadomus.
“Small facilities, with little ventilation and light, imply little or no stimuli for them, which results in problems of extreme weakness, balance, osteoarthritis, etc., which also affect their well-being psychological“, To add.
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Rescues of lion cubs and other animals in the context of war
During the fighting in Kyiv, there was mortar fire in the area where the barn was and all the animals in it were presumed dead. Staff at a nearby shelter discovered that they were still alive and managed to save most of them, except for Ruru, as the key to her enclosure was missing.
The young feline survived despite the continuous shelling and the owner of the refuge, Asya Serpinska, and her granddaughter continued to feed him week after week. When Russian troops entered the village, they placed mines around the barn, but Asya managed to persuade one of the soldiers with cigarettes not to detonate the mine. Only when Ukrainian troops recovered the kyiv region was it possible to transfer the lion to Poland, from where its reception in Spain was processed.
“The war has increased the demand for rescues coming to us from Ukraine, as centers across the country have found many abandoned animals. And, faced with the impossibility of serving them properly and the insecurity generated by the war, they sought all possible help outside their borders.“, explains Berta Alzaga, biologist and communicator at the AAP.
Ruru does not have the characteristic mane of adult lions because his owner castrated him. /PSAA law to reverse this type of situation
“As of today, Ruru is still in quarantine, a period with all sorts of vet checks to ensure he is in the best possible condition before beginning rehabilitation. He arrived here quite shaken by all the stress of the war and his move. Moreover, the fact that his former owner castrated him prevented him from developing the characteristic mane of adult lions.“says Pablo Delgado.
Both in Ukraine and in Spain, with the exception of four autonomous communities of our country, it is perfectly legal to own, trade and transport all kinds of wildlife. This is why the AAP is also fighting to put in place a positive list that clearly delimits and defines the species that can be marketed and kept as pets, while all others are prohibited.
“Currently, there is a National Animal Welfare Bill in our country that regulates the possession and trade of pets based precisely on positive lists. Once the said law has been approved, a scientific committee will be responsible for preparing these lists.“, emphasizes Marta Merchán, responsible for the public policy area of the AAP Primadomus.
In this way, the legislation would put an end to the unnecessary risks that the current situation poses to animals, people and the environment.
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