National flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY)'s cargo company, Turkish Cargo, embarked on a rescue mission for three sister lions named Luca, Charlie and Kai and a boy cub named Nathan. The company relocated the lions to their natural habitat in South Africa, putting them on a flight from Kiev with a stopover in Istanbul.

Nathan and the three sisters were imprisoned in a 35-square-meter cement and steel cage in Kiev, thousand of miles away from their natural habitat. For many years, the sisters and the baby lion lived poor lives, deprived of direct sunlight and clean air, THY said in a statement released on March 3, World Wildlife Day.

The lions were saved by the Lawrence Anthony World Organization (LAEO), a group that champions animal rights. After their rescue, the lions were transferred to their habitat in South Korea, carried in containers specially designed for their food and care needs.

On their journey, Luca, Charlie, Kai and Nathan were accompanied by their keepers, special veterinarians and authorities from the LAEO and Turkish Cargo personnel certified in transporting live animals, the THY statement said.

After a marathon flight of almost 9,000 kilometers (5,592 miles), the lions were set free in Kragga Kamma Game Park on South Africa's Eastern Cape. The lionstarget="_blank"'>