Three lions euthanized after fire

Raging wildfires in the Fairy Glen Nature Reserve in Worcester, Western Cape, have left three lions with severe burns, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) said.

NSPCA chief operations officer Grace de Lange said one male and two females were “left vulnerable to the wildfires, resulting in burns that inflicted brutal suffering upon them”.

Responding to an urgent call for assistance, the NSPCA dispatched a team, including a veterinary expert for big cats, Dr Peter Caldwell, to assess the injured lions and provide aid.

Despite the nature reserve’s initial procurement of veterinary treatment for the animals, the NSPCA team found the treatment plan questionable.

Only one lion had received treatment at that stage, and the conditions in which the lions were left hinted at continued suffering.

The situation was compounded by the fact that treatment for the two lionesses was initiated four days after the lions were burnt, on Tuesday, 30 January.

The lions sustained severe burns to their paws, eyes, mouths and chests, leading to secondary infections.

The male lion had burn wounds on its tongue, and the lions were left extremely dehydrated.

The NSPCA said: “A devastating site was the male lion keeping his hind paw in the dirty water trough, in a desperate attempt to relieve his immense pain, while being unable to stand or move around.”

Caldwell said all three lions were supposed to be in intensive care.

However, due to the severity of their injuries and the pain the animals suffered, the difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize them to prevent further suffering.

In addition to the burns suffered by the lions, the Fairy Glen Nature Reserve failed to meet provincial regulations, with camps deemed too small for these magnificent creatures.

The living conditions were further exacerbated by soiled camps with rotting chicken carcasses infested with maggots, the NSPCA said.

Fairy Glen also operated without a license under the Performing Animals Protection Act 24 of 1935, despite essentially functioning as a zoo, confining and exhibiting animals for profit, it claimed.

The NSPCA thanked the Cape of Good Hope SPCA for their assistance during the preliminary investigation stages and to Caldwell for his expert and compassionate support.

The Fairy Glen Nature Reserve did not comment at the time of going to print.

One male and two females lions ‘were left vulnerable to the raging wildfires’.