2 Lionesses Escape Khmelnytskyi Rehab Centre After Locks Broken; Hours-Long Search Ends Safely

A tense hours-long search operation unfolded in Khmelnytskyi after two lionesses, Simba and Samba, escaped from a private wildlife rehabilitation centre on Monday. The animals, brought to the facility “temporarily” in 2023 by a citizen of India and reportedly never reclaimed, fled after unknown individuals allegedly broke the locks on their enclosure doors, according to the center’s director. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Patrol police released footage showing teams of officers, rescuers, and animal trainers combing the area for the missing lionesses. Despite the scale of the search effort, officials said both animals stayed close to the center throughout the ordeal.

Law enforcement authorities said one lioness was quickly secured and returned to her enclosure by the facility’s staff, while the second managed to slip outside the compound. Patrol officers, working alongside zoo personnel, managed to contain and safely guide her back to the holding area without injuries to residents or responders.

Authorities said the escape had serious consequences, including the death of several animals at the centre. The prosecutor’s office has initiated a pre-trial investigation into suspected animal cruelty and negligence. Both lionesses were eventually located and recaptured, bringing the incident to a close.