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Ursa was part of the 'Cats in Crisis' Campaign. She was rescued from Ukraine.
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The Sanctuary raised £100,000 to rescue Ursa, which included her transportation and emergency care.
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Ursa is a lively character, who loves to bask in the sun.
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Ursa has settled in well at the Sanctuary and enjoys every type of enrichment.
Born in 2023, Ursa was neglected and illegally owned. Rescued from Ukraine after being discovered living as an illegally kept private pet, Ursa was found suffering from severe malnutrition, parasites and intestinal infection. Due to poor nutrition during her vital growth months, she remains significantly smaller than a lynx of her age should be and, having been hand-raised by humans, experts confirmed she would never survive in the wild.
Following her rescue by wildlife authorities, Ursa was transferred to the Wild Animal Rescue Center near Kyiv, where she began receiving urgent veterinary care while conflict continued around her. In 2026, after an extraordinary international rescue mission led by Cam Whitnall and the team at The Big Cat Sanctuary, Ursa safely arrived at her forever home in Kent.
Ursa is now settling into life at the Sanctuary, where she receives specialist care, enrichment and a peaceful environment designed around her needs. She will eventually move into the Sanctuary’s purpose-built Small Cat Rescue Centre, created to provide lifelong care for rescued small wild cats.
Her story is a powerful reminder of the Sanctuary’s ongoing commitment to rescuing vulnerable wild cats from crisis situations around the world and giving them the safe future they deserve.
The Eurasian Lynx is the largest of the four lynx species, the others being the Canadian Lynx, Iberian Lynx, and Bobcat. Also known as the Northern or European Lynx, it is found across Europe and central Asia, typically in forests and rocky habitats. Lynx were eradicated from the UK over a thousand years ago, but reintroduction efforts have been successful in parts of Europe, and plans are underway for their return to Britain.
Distinct for their long legs and large feet, Eurasian Lynx are perfectly adapted to snowy environments, with features that prevent them from sinking in deep snow while hunting. Their body shape is designed for stalking and ambushing prey, and their short front legs help them grapple with large animals. They are capable of taking down prey up to five times their own weight—up to 220 kg.
Eurasian Lynx are also adapted to changing seasons. In summer, their coat is short and coarse, typically red in color, but as winter approaches, it thickens and lightens, helping them blend into the snow-covered landscape. As a crepuscular predator, they hunt during dawn and dusk, spending the rest of the day hidden in dense cover unless caring for their kittens. Unlike lions, cheetahs, and leopards, the Eurasian Lynx’s eyes are not ringed with black but with white, which, combined with a reflective layer behind the retina, enhances their vision in low light.