Lion cub rescued in Montenegro after escaping from private home

The young animal had been on the run for one month. - Copyright AP Photo/Nati Harnik, FILE

By AFP with Euronews

Published on 11/02/2022 - 15:04•Updated 29/10/2022 - 12:06

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The young feline will now be released into the wild or transferred to a zoo.

Authorities in Montenegro have rescued a lion cub that had escaped from a private residence last month.

The young feline was discovered on Thursday inside an unfinished house near the coastal village of Budva.

The animal had been wandering near the Adriatic Sea resort for a month after fleeing its temporary residence.

"The cub was visibly exhausted and is now undergoing veterinary examinations," said Bojan Basanovic, spokesperson for the Agency for Nature and Environmental Protection (EPA).

"According to our information, it has been wandering for 30 days," he told AFP.

The young animal has been placed temporarily "in a safe place" to be examined by a vet, he added. She will likely be permanently transferred to a zoo or shelter.

🗣️Pronađen... 👉 Čeka ga veterinarski pregled, transport i trajno zbrinjavanje u nekom od prihvatilišta ili zoo vrtova. Ali.. Divljoj životinji je mjesto u prirodi, ona ima svoje ekološke zahtjeve. Sjetimo se perioda korona zatvaranja, uz hranu, vodu, televiziju, internet- tri mjeseca u zatvorenom prostoru je bilo pakleno za sve nas. Zamislimo sada lava koji pod sobom ima cijele savane, stotine kilometara, da bude osuđen na život u nekom od prihvatilišta. Ništa ne može da zamijeni prirodu. A lavić ne može da se vrati u prirodu jer do prve godine isključivo zavisi od majke lavice koja hvata i donosi plijen. ❗Neka dobro razmisle svi oni koji bi da drže divlje životinje u kavezima o ovoj priči i trajnoj osudi na pakao doživotnog zatvora za životinje. 📌 Hvala svima koji su učestvovali u ovoj akciji. 🙌
Posted by Agencija za zaštitu životne sredine Crne Gore on Thursday, February 10, 2022

The long search for the lion cub has highlighted the illegal trafficking of wild animals in the Western Balkans.

Police told local media that an investigation had been launched to try to determine how the animal had been imported into Montenegro.

"Let all those who would like to keep wild animals in cages think well about this story and the permanent condemnation to hell of life imprisonment for animals," the EPA wrote on Facebook.

"Thank you to everyone who participated in this action," the organisation added.

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