This is the half-starved lion cub called Simba with missing fur and gaping sores that was reportedly abused by a cruel photographer who used it for tourist snaps on the beach before abandoning it.
The poor cub was rescued in the city of Sochi in the south-western Russian region of Krasnodar Krai before being handed over to an animal shelter.
Shelter workers called vet Karen Dalakyan to treat the half-starved, badly-beaten lion cub called Simba.
Video Credit: Newsflash/@veronikamarkina
According to local media, Simba was used by an unidentified photographer last summer who abandoned it in the autumn.
According to the volunteers, the cub had ulcers and serious wounds that appeared to have been caused by beatings.
They added that the poor cub could barely move.
Dalakyan said: “He was probably beaten as the spinal bone is very sensitive around his lower back. Pressure ulcers ate his muscle to the one. Urine and faeces was on his fur and some areas have gone bald.”
She added that the cub’s treatment is ongoing.
It is unclear whether the local authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged case of animal abuse.
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Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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