Lion Rescued In Kruger National Park With Help Of Social Media
Recently a male lion was seen in Kruger National Park with a wire snare that was deeply embedded around his neck. Fortunately for the lion, park rangers tracked it over two days and rescued it. The incident unfortunately highlights the fact that there are many risks animals in the wild face at the hands of poachers in both South Africa and wilderness reserves.
Animals at risk of poaching
The incident underscores the perils wild animals face at the hands of poachers in South Africa and its vast wilderness reserves. The lion which is being called Percy by some was first seen on a road that is located in a remote part of the park prompted a search effort that was led by social media. Fortunately the lion was located, sedated, treated and released in good health.
Social media was a big help
A Facebook page that is run by activist group Enough is Enough ran a statement praising the lion, saying the animal really showed some perseverance and gave its thanks to everyone that was involved with the rescue. Many groups took to social networks to share sighting information with park rangers who were frantically searching for the animal which was a risk of dying as more and more time passed.
Percy the lion was found quickly
We still don’t know exactly how long Percy was roaming with the snare attached to his neck but he was certainly not an easy lion to catch. A spokesperson for Enough Is Enough said she was one of the first people to learn about the lion’s situation. Lize Roose Bester said the lions was first spotted on a Saturday evening and the group immediately took action to locate Percy and give him the help he needed. Ultimately it took rangers two days to find the animal.
Vets were surprised by Percy’s condition
Lesley Nyawo a spokesperson for Kruger National Park was quoted as saying that shortly after the snare was removed the Percy began to roam freely in the bush. Vets were surprised by the relative health of the animal and were actually preparing to euthanise him. However once they took a look at the wound they found it was not as bad as they thought it was going to be.
Many people angry
Whilst this particular story does have a happy ending, many people are still angry that poaching the animal had been attempted and continues to occur in and around Kruger and other parks. Ms. Bester says all types of animals are targeted. Hyenas typically suffer the most followed by elephants. Percy was the second incident involving the poaching of a lion the groups has heard of since forming in September.
