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Rori was part of the Big Cats in Crisis campaign, one of the five lions to be rescued from Ukraine
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He lived in a private menagerie in the Sumy region and is thought he was used for illegal breeding
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Rori was rescued alongside Yuna on 14th August 2024 and temporarily resided at NatuurHelpCentrum
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On 14th March 2025 Rori was brought to his new forever home at the Sanctuary
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He is a gorgeous male lion with a beautiful, big mane of hair
Rori is a three year old male African lion and lived in a private menagerie in the Sumy region. It is thought he was used for illegal breeding. After the invasion of Russia on Ukraine, the menagerie was disbanded, and the area was heavily shelled. It only became possible for the Wild Animal Rescue team to rescue Rori on the 18th January 2023. When found, Rori could not stand and was suffering from serious coordination disorders, likely caused by shell shock.
Rori was part of the Sanctuary’s Big Cats in Crisis campaign, the vital mission in rescuing five traumatised lions from war-torn Ukraine. The Sanctuary launched the campaign on the 2nd May 2024, with a fundraising goal of £500,000 to bring all five lions, Yuna, Rori, Amani, Lira and Vanda, to the sanctuary and build them a new forever home, The Lion Rescue Centre.
Adopt HereRori when he was at Wild Animal Rescue in Ukraine
Rori when he was temporarily housed at Natuur Help Centrum
Rori living at his new forever home, the Lion Rescue Centre, at The Big Cat Sanctuary
Rori was rescued alongside Yuna on the 14th August 2024. Cross Border Animal Services collected Rori from Kyiv, Ukraine and he travelled over 15 hours to NatuurHelpCentrum in Belgium. Rori was residing at NatuurHelpCentrum whilst his new forever home, The Lion Rescue Centre, was being built.
After spending a month in quarantine, Rori moved into an outdoor enclosure following a routine health check to ensure he was fit for his new surroundings. “Rori has been thriving, enjoying his space and often lounging on a small hill, where he strikes a regal pose like the ‘Lion King,’” says Frederik, a spokesperson for NatuurHulpCentrum.
Rori arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary on Friday 14th March, alongside Vanda, Amani, and Lira, as they moved into their new home at the Lion Rescue Centre. They arrived in the afternoon and have been kept inside the house to acclimatise to their new surroundings after the long journey from Belgium. All five lions have now been reunited and are adjusting to their forever home.
Since arriving at the sanctuary, Rori has amazed everyone with his beautiful mane and impressive size! He has a slight wobble in his walk due to the issues he suffered in Ukraine; however, that doesn’t stop him from demonstrating his incredible strength with his hanging feed enrichment. Rori loves to watch his next door neighbor, Yuna, and the two are gradually building a lovely relationship living side by side. We are excited to learn more about Rori’s personality, but we could not be prouder of how well he has settled in so far.
Adopt HereThese iconic animals have powerful bodies weighing between 265 to 420 pounds. Lion roars can be heard from 5 miles or 8km away. An adult lion’s coat is yellow-gold, while the juveniles have some light spots which generally disappear with age. Only male lions typically boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their head.
Lions are the only cats that live in groups, called prides—although there is one population of solitary lions. Prides are family units that may comprise anywhere from two to forty lions—including up to to three or four males, around a dozen females, and their young.
Lions can hunt the largest prey – buffalo, giraffe, and even juvenile elephants. However, they predominantly prey upon medium-sized wildlife, such as wildebeest, zebra, and impala.
The vast majority of lions live in sub-Saharan Africa. The current world population is estimated to be under than 20,000 – down from as many as 200,000 in 1900. Lions are threatened by the illegal trade in meat and other body parts, habitat loss, and conflict with humans due to the real or perceived threat that lions pose to livestock.