Five neglected lions rescued from Ukraine have been welcomed to their new U.K. home, where four of them have stepped on grass for the first time.
The Lion Rescue Centre was officially opened at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent on Tuesday by the charity's ambassador, Paul Hollywood.
A fundraising campaign collected 500,000 pounds ($647,000) to build the center, which is the "forever home" for the lions Rori, Amani, Lira, Vanda and Yuna.
A spokesperson said: "The lions come from varying situations of neglect and abuse, with four out of the five lions having never touched grass before, making their first steps out at The Lion Rescue Centre even more poignant."
"These beautiful cats have been severely neglected, confined to concrete enclosures, used for illegal breeding or kept as family pets," she said.
"Their new habitats have been specially designed to provide each lion with the ideal environment to rest and recuperate."
"Each lion has individual needs due to their previous hardships and Cam and his team will ensure they receive the physical and psychological care needed to recover from their ordeal," she added.
"For example, Yuna's environment has been designed to accommodate her neurological and coordination challenges, with no high platforms and a more gentle slope to climb," she said.
Also attending the opening was Baroness Hayman, the parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Gillian Fargher, the high sheriff of Kent.
Cam Whitnall, managing director of The Big Cat Sanctuary, said: "We are so relieved to have these lions safe and settled in their forever home."
"Seeing their feet touch the grass for the first time in our state-of-the-art Lion Rescue Centre was an emotional moment for all involved. Nervous at first, all five cats are now starting to relax, play and explore their new habitat," Whitnall added.
Three-year-old female Yuna was rescued after living in a 3×4 meter enclosure with a bare concrete floor. When evacuated, she could not stand because of a severe concussion caused by shell shock from heavy shelling during the war.
Ror previously lived in a private menagerie, which was believed to be used for illegal breeding.
The 3-year-old male also could not stand, likely due to shell shock.
Vanda, an 18-month-old female, was rescued from a flat where she was being kept severely malnourished as a family pet without access to the sun.
Females Amani and Lira, each about 3 years old, are sisters who were rescued together after being illegally bred and used for photo exploitation purposes.
