This lion, named Sikio Kali, is one of the Mara’s famous four Musketeers. He recently got on the wrong side of a warthog’s tusks during a predation attempt, leaving him with a deep wound to his forehead.
Taking down prey is not without risk for lions, as warthogs can inflict nasty gashes with their tusks (as can buffalo and wildebeest with their horns).
In this case, Masai Mara Reserve rangers spotted Sikio's plight just in time, as his wounds were septic and covered in maggots.
After receiving the call for help and rushing to the scene, the SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit found the lion lying in the shade, trying to shield his face from flies.
The intervention came not a moment too soon for Sikio, as vets manually cleaned and disinfected his wounds, before administering drugs to aid healing.
Subsequent sightings have shown him recovering well, although this battle-worn fellow – who is already missing most of his left ear – will look even more distinctive as he waits for the centre of his mane to grow back.
Helping injured animals is all in a days’ work for the SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Teams but we also work to help threatened ecosystems too. Check out our Facebook Stories to learn more about how we’re safe-guarding critical areas of biodiversity.
Comments
Post a Comment