Costa Blanca

Two African lions that were rescued in Ukraine bid farewell to Alicante

After two and a half years of rehabilitation at the Primadomus rescue centre in Villena (Alicante), two lions, male Sem and female Liena, who were three and five years old when the European animal welfare organisation AAP rescued them from the war in Ukraine, are headed to their forever home at the Isindile Big Cat & Predator sanctuary in South Africa.

In October 2022, they were discovered “completely abandoned” in the Donetsk region and brought to the AAP rescue centre in Spain. They received initial aid at the shelter near Kyiv from the Ukrainian organisation Wild Animal Rescue, which was “aware of the need to seek suitable rescue centres outside the country due to the conflict situation, the lack of adequate facilities, and the stress caused by the proximity of the war front.”

In particular, the animals were stressed by the surrounding gunfire and shelling, which drove them to strike the bars and gates of the Ukrainian animal sanctuary, the AAP said in a statement.

Together with two other lions, they reached AAP Primadomus in Villena after travelling more than 3,600 kilometres. In these 3,000-square-meter facilities, they have gradually been able to move past the scars of their past. They have gone from being traumatised animals that would hide in the vegetation at the slightest sound and constantly growl to others who are finding peace and learning to use their senses to find food.

Develop your instincts

Both of them “have regained their peace ,” according to the AAP, “which has allowed them to return to optimal condition and the opportunity to socialise with each other, thus helping with their physical, social, and behavioural rehabilitation .”

Both lions received specialised care from the organisation, which has since located “the best place for the animals to spend the rest of their lives.” This is South Africa’s Isindile Big Cat & Predator Sanctuary. Their demands will be met by a 10,000 m² facility in the middle of nature where they can live “a dignified life and develop their wild instincts.”

After rehabilitation, the organisation seeks a “permanent home” for these animals “in renowned sanctuaries and zoos,” according to Pablo Delgado, director of the Villena rescue centre and head of the AAP Big Cats area. This is done in order to provide other specimens in need of assistance with “the opportunity to come to the rescue centre to recover from their past.”

A voyage of this kind necessitates meticulous planning. The animals must be acclimated to their boxes in order to reduce any stress the trip may create, in addition to all the licenses and paperwork needed for a transcontinental trip.

More animals who have been rescued

The AAP in Ukraine has rescued more animals besides Sem and Liena. Since the conflict began, 12 animals—nine lions, one monkey, one leopard, and one wild dog—the majority of which were owned privately in the nation, have been able to find “a safe place to recover at the organization’s facilities” in Spain.

“The organization’s rehoming partners have found a permanent home for nearly all of them, who are now fully recovered. Sadly, the issue of exotic animal ownership as pets is not specific to nations like Ukraine. The AAP highlights that one of the biggest marketplaces for exotic pets worldwide is the European Union, which has an impact on biodiversity, public health, and pet welfare.

According to the organisation, some of these creatures “end up, hopefully, in rescue centres like those run by AAP, where Sem and Liena have been given a second chance to recover their lion form.”

“At AAP, we will continue working to achieve better regulation of the ownership and trade of exotic pets throughout Europe, to prevent more animals from suffering an uncertain fate, living a life of suffering they should never have been forced to endure,” says the group.

Credit: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aapprimadomus

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Related Topics:Alicante Europe Health Public Social Spain Strike Villena

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Costa Blanca

Missing Persons Association searching for Stiven, 26, who disappeared from Elche

The SOS Missing Persons Association has issued an urgent alert concerning the disappearance of Stiven Manrique Penagos, a 26-year-old man who vanished on April 18, 2025, in Elche, Alicante.

Stiven is of typical build, stands at a height of approximately 1.70/1.72 metres, and has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Due to his vulnerability, they have prioritised his disappearance, and they are requesting public assistance to locate him as soon as possible.

The organisation is urgently looking to hear from anyone with any information of his whereabouts.

If anyone has information regarding his whereabouts, please contact info@sosdesaparecidos.es or call 649 952 957 and 617 126 909.

Regarding SOS Missing Persons

Sosdesaparecidos is a non-profit association established in Caravaca de la Cruz that collaborates in the dissemination of information about missing persons of any age whose families do not know what happened or where they are.

The goal of the 32 men and women on the SOSdesaparecidos team is to assist families by utilising their personal and professional experiences.

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Costa Blanca

Alicante TRAM collected 2,494 lost objects in 2024

Last year, Alicante TRAM passengers lost a total of 2,494 objects, which the Valencian Railways (FGV) collected. This data suggests that passengers abandon an average of seven artefacts daily and 208 objects monthly. These objects are stored at the stations for a minimum of one month and for an additional month in the lost property storage facility at Luceros station. The Alicante Local Police then receive the items if their proprietors have not claimed them after this period.

Wallets and purses, keys, backpacks, documents (ID, passports, driving licences, health cards, etc.), mobile phones, spectacles, folders, umbrellas, and handbags are the items that are seen on trains and trams in Alicante and its metropolitan area the most frequently.

October (442), January (393), November (378), June (366), March (308), April (303), August (296), July (291), May (286), December (276), February (263), and September (199) were the months in which the most items went missing, proceeding with the division by season.

The recovery of an object by its owner while it is registered with FGV amounts to 929, or 37.25%, thanks to the protocols established by FGV for the management and safekeeping of lost objects. The remaining percentage is either handed over to the Alicante Local Police or taken to a recycling centre or green point if the objects are clearly worn or deteriorated.

The time required to retrieve an item is contingent upon the presence of any identifying information or the customer’s claim. When there’s identifying information or a customer’s claim, we often recover the item the same day it goes missing, especially if it’s valuable.

Steps to be taken

In the initial phase, lost property is dropped off and picked up at the stations served by FGV personnel before being transferred to the central office at Luceros station.

After one month, the items are collected and transported to the lost property facility at Luceros station to attempt to identify their owner, deregister them for recycling based on their condition, or deliver them to the Alicante Lost Property Office after an additional month.

They promptly hand over official documents, such as passports and ID cards, to the authorities to determine their owner, then destroy bank cards to mitigate unnecessary risks and prevent tampering. Customer service personnel conduct follow-up and minor investigations to ensure their return to the police.

Amazing objects

In addition to the previously mentioned items, there are several remarkable items that it’s hard to imagine users would overlook. These items include bicycles, scooters, suitcases, crutches, walking sticks, laptops, tablets, baby strollers, shopping carts, motorcycle helmets, portable refrigerators, toiletry bags, umbrellas, hair dryers, X-rays, prescriptions, medical reports, a construction shovel, a shower telephone, and even a toilet seat or fire extinguisher.

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Costa Blanca

Firefighters rescue hiker after fracturing her leg in fall in Dénia

Members of the Provincial Fire Consortium rescued a 40-year-old woman on Monday, April 21st, on the climb to Cova del Aigua in Dénia after she fractured her leg in a fall while hiking.

The alert was received at around 12:48 p.m., and an Alpha 01 rescue helicopter and the Special Rescue Group (GER) were dispatched to the scene, the Consortium said in a statement.

Since the woman was at a point where the ambulance could not reach due to the terrain, the rescue helicopter was activated with the GER.

Once located, the officers disembarked from the helicopter and brought her back to San Vicente Park, where an ambulance was waiting. The operation ended at 4:04 p.m.