Lion won in card game by wealthy businessman found suffering from malnutrition

A young lion was found in a total state of neglect inside a luxurious residence in Russia. If it had not been rescued, the animal would have died.

The 14-month-old lion had been the prize that a wealthy businessman had won in a card game. However, the man never worried about giving the animal the basic care he needed.

The poor lion was in such a state of carelessness and negligence that his legs were twisted as a result of rickets he was suffering. Apparently, the wealthy businessman and his servants only fed him dog food.

A carnivorous predator like this little lion, called Simba, should eat up to 20lbs of meat a day. Read more on our Twitter account @amomama_usa.

Since Simba was never well fed during the time he was in that house, he suffered from a severe malnutrition. It was so severe that he could barely stand up. When rescuers found him, he hasn’t eaten in at least 3 days.

Besides having made him go hungry, those who took care of Simba had placed his cage partially outdoors, so an animal from the African savannah had to endure the climate of one of the coldest regions of the continent.

While the harsh winter arrives, Simba has been transferred to a shelter where he will receive treatment for malnutrition and rickets. We hope that from this moment on, the life of Simba will be much happier than it has been until now.

Simba will have a group of veterinarians and caregivers taking looking out for him 24 hours a day until he is fully recovered and designated an ideal home for him.

We hope that the end of this story is a little closer to the life that Christian had; a lion bought by some Australian friends that became the most loving companion during the time he lived with them.

After releasing Christian in a reserve where he could hunt and reproduce, the couple of friends went to visit him a few years later to see how he had adapted to his new home. One thing that intrigued the two men was being sure that the lion would recognize them.

The images of the reunion between this lion and his human parents are so moving that it will surely make you shed some tears.