The Big Cat Sanctuary near Smarden has spearheaded the project.
Oliver Leader de Saxe reports.
Oliver Leader de Saxe reports.
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00:00It started as a daring rescue for five Ukrainian lions caught in a war zone.
00:07Now a roaring success following a £500,000 fundraising campaign to give these exotic
00:15felines their forever home.
00:18Yeah, so these guys have been here for just over a week and I'm really, really pleased
00:24to see the behaviours that they're showing, loads of really relaxed behaviours, they've
00:28all been making themselves at home, they've all been getting to know each other as well
00:31because even though they're from the same rescue centre they never really met.
00:36So they've settled in unbelievably well, surprisingly well and that just goes to show that they
00:41feel like they're in the right environment now which is fantastic.
00:44Local and national heroes joined more than 100 people at the Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford
00:52to unveil the state-of-the-art facility far away from the conflict engulfing Eastern Europe.
01:00Three, two, one, hooray!
01:05When you look around, I've never seen enclosures like this before.
01:09Considering where some of these cats were in Ukraine and where they are now, you can
01:13see the contentment in their face, you can almost see it on the boat.
01:17They're rolling round, they're talking to each other, they're very vocal.
01:21It's such a special place to be, I love this place.
01:24The needs of the rescued lions are complex.
01:28Even before the war with Russia, they were victims of the illegal animal trade.
01:33Trapped in concrete enclosures barely big enough to house them.
01:38Some hadn't even touched grass before arriving in Kent.
01:42She's just so curious, this is all brand new to her.
01:45I mean, this is the first time she's been outside, and we're good.
01:52Yeah.
01:53Just over my shoulder, you can see one of the five Ukrainian lions that have been rescued,
01:59taking a well-deserved break after a big meal.
02:03His new enclosure designed around his needs and getting all the support that a cat can get.
02:09Each enclosure of the Lion Rescue Centre is specially designed for the individual that's in it.
02:15Rory behind me, for example, has a neurological condition that he's had from a young age.
02:21He's a bit weak on his back end, probably due to not getting the right nutrition growing up.
02:25And so his enclosure has very gentle slopes and mounds, there's no high areas.
02:30And it's a space that's going to allow him to build muscle tone safely.
02:35The pride are clearly making themselves at home.
02:39And with how eager they are to pose for the camera,
02:42no wonder they're set to get the lion's share of public attention here at the sanctuary for quite some time.
02:50Oliver leaves the sacks for KMTV in Smerdon.