A Poacher’s Trap Nearly Severed This Lion’s Paw, Until Heroic Veterinarians Saved Him
Heroes in Kenya recently saved a lion who was in the process of watching his paw get cut off by a poacher’s trap. The lion had been strolling through a thicket — and didn’t see that hunters had laid out a wire snare trap. When he accidentally stepped right on the trap, it clamped around his paw. The more he fought to escape, the tighter the wire became, until it began cutting into his flesh. Unable to free himself, the lion laid in the foliage, wounded and afraid. Luckily, veterinarians with the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya Wildlife Service, and Lion Guardians arrived just in time and saved this poor animal from further agony. The wire had wrapped itself around the lion’s paw so intensely, veterinarians had to cut the metal with bolt cutters, before administering antibiotics and cleaning the injury. Sadly, the Vet Units often carry bolt cutters around because they frequently run into situations like this. Sometimes, the traps aren’t around paws, but encircle lions’ necks instead.
Right now, hunting and poaching are running rampant. Poachers set traps like this in order to disable and eventually kill the wild animals, and it’s a slow and painful way to go. Eventually, the lions are skinned and butchered and their body parts are sold off in the bushmeat trade. The organization Lion Aid estimates that the criminal bushmeat trade brings in profits that are much larger than profits from the illegal ivory trade. That’s why organizations like the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Lion Guardians, as well as government agencies like the Kenya Wildlife Service, are so important. Without the wildlife rescuers on their teams, countless animals would be left to suffer and die harrowing deaths. Sign the petition to tell international organizations that these heroic groups deserve more funding to help them continue their incredible, life-saving work!