Wild animal smuggling: Why was this ‘malnourished’ lion cub found by a road in Serbia?

A lion cub was taken to a zoo successful bluish Serbia yesterday (21 September) aft it was seen wandering connected a section road, officials and media said.

Only a fewer months old, the pistillate cub was recovered connected the outskirts of Subotica, a municipality adjacent the borderline with Hungary.

She was malnourished and weak, said Sonja Mandic from the Palic Zoo, which has taken successful the cub.

Local media said that a Subotica nonmigratory spotted the cub connected the roadworthy and called the police, who past took it to the zoo.

What information was the lion cub in?

A video connected societal media shows the cub appearing from the writer and stepping onto the road.

Reports besides said that the cub was affable and wasn't acrophobic of people. A policeman and section residents could beryllium seen successful different videos and photos caressing the cub.

Mandic said the lion was successful “pretty mediocre shape” and was receiving attraction and infusion to amended its condition.

“It could beryllium 3 to 6 months aged oregon 5 to 6, but is malnourished and perchance underdeveloped,” said Mandic.

Is chaotic carnal smuggling an contented successful the region?

Police are yet to contented an authoritative connection astir the incident.

But the smuggling of chaotic and uncommon animals is believed to beryllium wide successful the Balkan region.

A study connected wildlife transgression from WWF past twelvemonth recovered that songbirds from the finch family, locally protected brownish bears and wood turtles were among the astir targeted taxon successful Serbia.

While cases of smuggling and the amerciable possession of exotic taxon of snakes similar pythons are besides common.

In 2020, an probe utilizing information from Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism and the Earth Journalism Network revealed that illegal wildlife trade is rife successful Eastern Europe.

It highlighted "concerns among conservationists that smugglers are avoiding scrutiny by moving wildlife products done Eastern European countries with little stringent instrumentality enforcement."