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| Fundraising appeal to save lions | Fundraising appeal to save lions |
| (about 19 hours later) | |
| A wildlife park near Doncaster has launched a fundraising campaign to bring 14 lions from a Romanian zoo. | A wildlife park near Doncaster has launched a fundraising campaign to bring 14 lions from a Romanian zoo. |
| Yorkshire Wildlife Park says it needs to raise £150,000 to transfer the lions from the country's Oradea Zoo. | Yorkshire Wildlife Park says it needs to raise £150,000 to transfer the lions from the country's Oradea Zoo. |
| Park director John Minion said the animals were kept in small cages and some faced being put down if a new home for them could not be found. | Park director John Minion said the animals were kept in small cages and some faced being put down if a new home for them could not be found. |
| Mr Minion said the zoo was "fully supportive" of plans to move the lions, which will include 18-month-old cubs. | Mr Minion said the zoo was "fully supportive" of plans to move the lions, which will include 18-month-old cubs. |
| The wildlife park first heard of the lions' plight when it was contacted by the specialist re-homing service at Heathrow Airport. | The wildlife park first heard of the lions' plight when it was contacted by the specialist re-homing service at Heathrow Airport. |
| Staff got in touch with a Romanian animal rescue charity and in July Mr Minion visited the zoo, at the invitation of its director. | Staff got in touch with a Romanian animal rescue charity and in July Mr Minion visited the zoo, at the invitation of its director. |
| "The staff at Oradea really love their animals and desperately want the best for them John Minion, park director | "The staff at Oradea really love their animals and desperately want the best for them John Minion, park director |
| He said he was "shocked and moved" by what he saw, and pledged to help the animals. | He said he was "shocked and moved" by what he saw, and pledged to help the animals. |
| "The lions were in awful conditions," he said. | "The lions were in awful conditions," he said. |
| "I saw five in a 3m by 4m pen. It was incredibly distressing. The zoo keepers care for the animals, but they don't have any money or the proper resources, and can't put tyres up for them to play with. | "I saw five in a 3m by 4m pen. It was incredibly distressing. The zoo keepers care for the animals, but they don't have any money or the proper resources, and can't put tyres up for them to play with. |
| "Quite a few of the lions have developmental problems and arthritic conditions. | "Quite a few of the lions have developmental problems and arthritic conditions. |
| "The options are to re-home them, or the possibility of euthanasia. | "The options are to re-home them, or the possibility of euthanasia. |
| "The staff at Oradea really love their animals and desperately want the best for them - it would be terrible if they had to be put down." | "The staff at Oradea really love their animals and desperately want the best for them - it would be terrible if they had to be put down." |
| Money raised will go towards building a lion house and creating a 10-acre reserve for the animals. | Money raised will go towards building a lion house and creating a 10-acre reserve for the animals. |
| It is hoped the lions can be brought to the wildlife park before winter, when heavy snowfalls in Romania make travelling difficult. | It is hoped the lions can be brought to the wildlife park before winter, when heavy snowfalls in Romania make travelling difficult. |