Tragic story of a lion cub, forced to become a tourist attraction went viral recently. The little cub was reportedly taken away from his mother when he was few months old. His legs were broken and spine wounded so he would not run away or struggle when tourists took pictures with him in Russia.
He was thankfully saved and rescued and has now been named Simba. A successful surgery was performed on him.
The baby lion was kept in really bad conditions; he was reportedly tied up in a barn, tortured and beaten. He was almost on the brink of death when he was rescued and now Simba is learning to trust humans once again.?
It was Karen Dallakyan, a vet in Russia who saved Simba after he was brought to him. Karen helps many animals escape awful conditions, reports Bored Panda. He along with his team help these animals regain their health, give them food, shelter but most importantly, the love and warmth they deserve. Karen takes care of other animals like hedgehogs, snakes, tigers, and birds.?
Little baby Simba when taken care of by Karen learnt how to walk and play and pictures now show him happy with his rescuer. More images of Simba are available at Karen¡¯s Instagram page all of which are heartwarming.?
Read:?12,000 Lions Allegedly Bred In South Africa To Be Killed By Tourist 'Hunters'
Reportedly Russian president Vladimir Putin was so shocked he personally ordered a criminal investigation into the cruelty faced by the helpless cub, Simba.
The animal was dumped, tethered in a dirty, cold barn in the Russian region of Dagestan. ¡°He was practically not fed, and for some reason in the frost, water was constantly poured over him,¡± Metro UK quoted Yulia Ageeva, who led a rescue mission as saying.?
Read:?Calls For Stricter Wildlife Protection Laws & Animal Cruelty Grow
These rescuers saved Simba and flew him to specialist vet Karen Dallakyan, who said the lion had suffered "an ocean of pain from humans". He reportedly said, ¡°Evil photographers break bones like this so that wild predators cannot escape and behave calmly for pictures [with tourists].¡±
Even though the cub is sadly, permanently deformed, the surgery has proven to be helpful and Simba can walk again. In the images shared by Karen, Simba seems to be well taken care of and even seems happy with his caretakers.
Read:?Baby Elephant With Chained Legs 'Forced To Beg For Money From Tourists'
Image credits:?https://www.instagram.com/karendallakyan/