WORLD WORLDWIDE AFRICA ZIMBABWE - WILDLIFE - ANIMALS - ANIMAL SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL - Lions are being mutilated by poachers in Zimbabwe.

 

View this email in your browser Unless we act, more lions will fall victim to vicious poachers in Zimbabwe. Help us protect them today. Donate now Share Tweet Forward Share Dear friends, A horrifying poaching incident has shaken Victoria Falls, a small tourist town in Zimbabwe.  An adult male lion was found caught in a deadly snare. Injured but alive, he was darted, treated, and released back into the wild – but there was a much more gruesome discovery waiting nearby… The brutalized remains of a lioness – the snared lion’s partner – were found near the snare, her flesh stripped from her bones, and her head and paws hacked off. She leaves behind two four-year-old offspring and three nine-month-old cubs, all of whom must now fend for themselves. Without their mother, their chances are slim.  Worst of all, the tiny cubs are acutely vulnerable to poachers. This lion died after being caught in a lethal snare. These torture devices leave animals suffering for hours or days before they succumb to their injuries. Credit: Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust We need to act FAST to prevent more despicable acts of cruelty like this. The grim discovery was made by local conservationists who immediately alerted Zimbabwean wildlife authorities and our partner, the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU). There has been an alarming rise in poaching in Zimbabwe, and criminals seem to be particularly  targeting lions. This iconic species may be king of the jungle, but lions stand no chance against armed and ruthless poachers, who violently kill and sell their body parts into the illegal wildlife trade.   Lion paws, teeth and bones are especially sought after as fake ‘medicinal’ cures and status symbols in Asia. For poachers in the Zimbabwean wilderness, killing one of these majestic beasts and hacking off its paws and head is nothing more than a quick way to make money. Donate now The remains of the freshly butchered female lion that was found near the injured male. Credit: Shutterstock/Juanita Layne (left, IMAGE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY) & VFAPU (right). One of the best ways to stop poachers in their tracks is through innovative AI-powered technology.  AI-powered camera traps are highly effective tool in the fight against poachers – and with your help, we will install them throughout poaching hotspots in Zimbabwe. This year alone, using four existing camera traps, our partner VFAPU has removed 97 snares, detected 49 attempts, and arrested 11 poachers who, if convicted, could face up to nine years in prison. The team also rescued six animals from snares.  AI-powered cameras detect human movement in real time and send instant alerts to anti-poaching units. Teams are dispatched to stop the poachers before they can lay cruel snares or kill an innocent creature. But four camera traps are not enough to catch every poacher, and we must install more as soon as possible. Camera traps are vital to identify poachers, day or night, and send immediate, real-time alerts to anti-poaching teams. Credit: VFAPU For every $400 (£312) raised, we can install an additional camera trap, helping our partner to protect lions and catch poachers. Donate now VFAPU patrols a vast area covering 124,000 acres (50,000 hectares). The more camera traps we can install, the more animals we can protect, and the more poachers will end up behind bars – where they belong. Right now, lions are easy targets for poachers. With your support, we can protect vulnerable animals and actively arrest and prosecute the criminals responsible for their deaths. Please help by donating as much as you can spare today. Saving animals and the planet General Manager Animal Survival International P.S. Lions are facing a poaching epidemic in Zimbabwe - they need your support more than ever. Donate now Subscribe to our newsletter! Banner credit: Daily Mail/Gary Roberts Please share this appeal with your colleagues, friends and family.