Last month, I followed the transportation of seven rescued lions from Ukraine to South Africa by Qatar Airways Cargo. These lions were rescued from captivity by NGO Warriors of Wildlife (WOW) in Ukraine. The long journey involved a three-day trip from Kiev to Doha and Johannesburg, so that the lions could walk on grass for the first time in their lives. All the Lions were in good health when I last saw them.

I documented the loading process of 7 lions into the Qatar Airways B777. A short interview to find out the history of these rescue lions, along with the challenges of transporting wild animals, was made during loading and onboard the flight.

After 4 hours 20 minutes, we arrived at Doha and the lions were being transported to a transit facility. During the transit, they were fed with food and water. Lionel de Lange from the NGO spoke about the challenge he went through to get them transported. Later, the 7 lions were boarded on another Qatar Airways A350-900 flight to Johannesburg. The 7 lions have since been released into a protected area after arriving in South Africa. They were transferred to a much larger nature reserve, where they will be protected and taken care of for the rest of their lives.

Transporting wild animals back to their natural environment for free is a promise made by Qatar Airways Cargo as part of their “Rewild the Planet” initiative, which is also a part of the airline’s WeQare sustainability programme.

Contact Warriors of Wildlife: https://www.wowukraine.org/