When Ukrainian soldiers found Aleks near Kharkiv, the white tiger was in a bad way. Thin, parasitised, dehydrated, suffering from skin infections and malnutrition — he had been abandoned by his owners as the conflict made normal life impossible. He was alive, but only just.
Not far away, a lynx named Lothar had been through something similar. Left behind when his owners fled, he had been taken in by the Wild Animals Rescue Center in Ukraine. Cared for, but not truly safe. Both animals, born in captivity and without the instincts to survive in the wild, needed a permanent home that could give them what they needed for the rest of their lives.
On February 27, 2026, they found one — arriving at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in England after a 2,600-kilometre journey that required the coordination of NGOs, veterinarians, customs authorities across multiple countries, and a specialised DHL transport team with a temperature-controlled vehicle.
**The Journey**
Getting two large wildcats from war-affected Ukraine to England is not a logistically simple undertaking. The animals had to be certified fit for travel, documentation prepared in compliance with wildlife trade regulations across multiple jurisdictions, and transport arranged that would keep both animals calm and safe over a journey of several days.
The route took them through Ukraine, across Europe by road, through the Eurotunnel under the English Channel, and finally to Lincolnshire. DHL Group — which has developed significant expertise in moving sensitive and live cargo — handled the specialist transport logistics, using a vehicle equipped with climate control and monitoring systems appropriate for large feline passengers.
Both animals were examined by a veterinarian on arrival and released into purpose-built enclosures at the park.
**Why Lincolnshire?**
Lincolnshire Wildlife Park is one of the UK's largest sanctuaries dedicated to rescuing and providing lifelong homes to animals that cannot be returned to the wild. For animals like Aleks and Lothar — born in captivity, accustomed to humans, without the hunting skills or territorial instincts of wild-born animals — it is exactly what it needs to be: a place to live out their lives safely, surrounded by appropriate care and the company of their own species.
The park was highlighted on World Wildlife Day 2026 for its role in the rescue — one example of the quiet, international infrastructure that exists to give animals a second chance when human circumstances fail them.
**A Broader Issue**
Aleks and Lothar's story also casts light on a wider problem: the illegal keeping of large wild animals as private pets. Across Europe and beyond, tigers, lions, and other big cats are still held privately — often in inadequate conditions, by owners who lack the expertise or resources to care for them properly. When circumstances change — when conflict comes, or finances collapse, or the novelty fades — those animals are left behind.
For Aleks and Lothar, the story has a good ending. They have space, proper nutrition, veterinary care, and a safe future. Not every animal like them is so fortunate. 🐯
*Sources: DHL Group press release (March 3, 2026) · Lincolnshire Wildlife Park (lincswildlife.com) · CargoForwarder EU · StatTimes*
