At The Big Cat Sanctuary, we rescue, protect and provide lifelong care for some of the world’s most vulnerable wild cats. From animals saved from war zones, illegal ownership and exploitation, to those in urgent need of specialist care, we give every cat a safe, secure future where their welfare comes first.
Through conservation, education and hands-on rescue work, we are committed to giving big cats a second chance and ensuring they can live with dignity in environments designed around their natural needs.
By becoming a member of The Big Cat Sanctuary, you’re helping us rescue and care for vulnerable wild cats like Ursa and Yuna all year round. Membership provides vital, ongoing support that allows us to respond quickly to emergencies, invest in specialist facilities and give rescued cats the lifelong care they need.
Together, with your support, we can give wild cats the safe future they deserves.
£100 can help renovate new home at the Sanctuary
£50 can help fund border crossing, permits, and veterinary requirements
£25 can provide food and warmth over the winter period
£10 can give enrichment to help their development
Become a MemberWe are delighted to announce that the urgent mission to rescue Ursa, a young female Eurasian lynx, from war-torn Ukraine has now been successfully completed. After a high-stakes operation, Ursa has safely arrived in the UK and is already taking her first steps in her new home at The Big Cat Sanctuary.
Born in 2023, Ursa’s early life was marked by neglect and illegality. She was discovered as a kitten by the organisation URSA, after whom she was later named, while being kept illegally as a private pet in someone’s home, before police intervened. Following a court order, she was confiscated and transferred to the Wild Animal Rescue Center on the outskirts of Kyiv, where she began receiving the urgent care and treatment she so desperately needed.
At the time of her rescue, Ursa was battling a severe intestinal infection and heavy parasite burdens. Due to poor nutrition and incorrect feeding during her vital early growth months, she remains significantly smaller than a lynx of her age should be. Having been hand-raised by humans and lacking both the size and survival skills required to defend herself, experts have confirmed that Ursa would never be able to survive in the wild.
Thanks to the extraordinary support of our community, we reached and surpassed our fundraising target of £100,000. The funds have covered conflict-zone evacuation, international logistics, veterinary care, transport and long-term specialist habitat preparation. Now safe in Kent, Ursa is settling into her temporary habitat whilst the Small Cat Rescue Centre is being complete, where she will receive lifelong care, enrichment, and the dignified future every wild animal deserves.
Ursa’s rescue builds on our proven track record of delivering complex rescue missions for vulnerable wild cats.
Through our Big Cats in Crisis campaign, we successfully rescued five lions from war-torn Ukraine and brought them safely to the UK, where they are now thriving at The Big Cat Sanctuary. More recently, we rescued several small cats from The Cats Survival Trust, providing them with specialist care and safe, permanent homes.
These rescues demonstrate our commitment to stepping in when wild cats need us most.