Escaped lion cub recaptured in Montenegro
WeirdNews
Escaped lion cub recaptured in Montenegro.
BUDVA, Montenegro (AFP) - An escaped lion cub on the prowl for nearly a month was recaptured on Thursday, an official in Montenegro said, following an extensive search that highlighted the pervasiveness of illicit wildlife trafficking in the region.
The lion escaped from a private residence last month and was later found inside an unfinished house near the Adriatic resort town of Budva, according Bojan Basanovic -- the spokesperson for Montenegro’s nature and environmental protection agency.
"The cub was visibly exhausted and is now undergoing veterinary check-ups, as we have information that it wandered for some 30 days," Basanovic told AFP.
The animal will be temporarily kept in a "safe place" before being transferred to a zoo or given back to its country of origin.
Police told local media that authorities were trying to establish how exactly the animal was smuggled into the Balkan country, after officials said there was no legal record of the lion being imported into Montenegro.
For years, activists have complained of wildlife trafficking in Montenegro, pointing to posts on social media that show the owners and their exotic pets.
In January 2020, controversy erupted after fans brought a caged wolf to a futsal match at an elementary school gym in Montenegro.
