The Born Free Foundation, a charity supported by Thomson Airways onboard collections, has rescued a lioness from appalling conditions in a Romanian Zoo and re-housed her in Malawi.

Bella, aged 7, was suffering from spinal and leg injuries, and was almost blind when she was saved from the atrocious conditions at the Buhusi Zoo in Moldavia.

Thanks to the fantastic work of veterinary surgeons at Brasov Zoo, Bella’s sight was miraculously saved.

Bella was then driven to Bucharest, under sedation, and flown to the UK. Virginia McKenna OBE, founder of the Born Free Foundation then travelled with the lioness to the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi where she was released into the wild.

Recent reports confirm that Bella is thriving in her new home.