Ukrainian Lions celebrate their first birthday at YWP

But the playful trio were scaredy-cats when they presented with their birthday gifts - excitedly jumping away from the boxes containing treats.

Emi, Teddi and Santa  soon returned to enjoy their presents, including a yellow ball and meat , much to the delight of onlookers.

The cubs, who turn two today, arrived at the park with mum Aysa in March after a 2000 mile road trip from a holding facility in Poland.

They had spent nine months, including their first birthday, separated from their mother without seeing the sky, sunlight, or having any stimulation from the outside world.

The family was reunited in YWP's magnificent Lion Country and have spent the last six months healing and enjoying the feeling of their paws on grass for the first time.

YWP’s Deputy Section Head of Carnivores, Colin Northcott, said: “We are extremely excited to be celebrating the first of many birthdays for the three cubs now that they are safely in Yorkshire. Their second birthday will certainly be a lot better than their first. We wanted to make it that extra special for them.

“They had obviously never had birthday presents before. But they really enjoyed the treats we had hidden in the boxes."

He added: “It has been amazing to watch them grow in confidence over the past six months. Now it is almost like they have always been here.

“When I first visited them in Poland, the cubs were extremely distressed, cowering on top of each other.

“But now the  two-year-olds can be seen running around, playing, soaking up the sun, and enjoying everything that their new life and  space has to offer. The cubs are a huge hit with the public and staff alike!”

Aysa and her cubs travelled over 2,000 miles across six countries from Poland after being abandoned in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. During the Russian invasion many animals were left alone with no food, water, or shelter and were terrified by the bombing.

Aysa and her cubs' survival and health are significant achievements that were praised on World Lion Day, a day held to raise awareness about the dwindling number of lions living in the wild and to celebrate successful conservation projects. 

The family is now thriving in the park’s Lion Country, a seven-acre habitat boasting three specially designed African Lion reserves.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which puts conservation at the heart of all its activities, won international accolades for its original lion rescue in 2010 when 13 lions were saved from horrific conditions in Romania and brought to Yorkshire. Two still survive and live in a separate reserve to the Ukrainian lions.

The resort offers visitors a unique walk through experience coming almost face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful and rare species, including Amur Leopards and Tigers , Giraffes, Sea Lions and Black Rhinos.