They rescued an African lion cub in Edomex

Around 1:00 in the morning inhabitants of the “Las Américas” subdivision in the municipality of Ecatepec, State of Mexico, notified the authorities when they reported the presence of a little African lion walking down José Francisco Córdoba street.

Minutes later, members of the Civil Protection Department, members of the Ecatepec Firefighters and personnel from the Department of Environment and Ecology of the State of Mexico came to capture the feline. After his capture, the puppy was transferred to the Ehécatl Ecological Park where he spent the night and will remain under observation.

The head of Environment and Ecology, Acoyani Baroco Bonilla, specified that the puppy is between 6 and 10 months old, however, commented that he is in poor health, so there is a possibility that he may have had an artificial upbringing after his birth.

“The general state of health is poor, it presents malnutrition, muscle atrophy and poor hygiene, so far we don't know the source,” said the official.

At present, the situation of the African Lion is alarming, as the number of specimens has decreased in recent years. According to numbers drawn from a National Geographic report over the past 25 years, the lion population has been reduced by almost half.

There is no exact amount that allows us to know how many cats are left today. However, in 2021, several organizations in South Africa stopped issuing permits to raise, keep, or hunt lions in captivity

There is a million-dollar industry that supplies puppies for tourism, lions for trophy hunting and bones for traditional medicine. That is why many lions end up being victims of illegal species trafficking or mascotism.

An international treaty prohibits the purchase and sale of products made from any big cat, however, the African lion was omitted from this list. Unfortunately, they have been bred in captivity, their bones, teeth and claws can be marketed all over the world.

At present, Mexico allows us to keep an exotic animal as a pet, as long as it is not an endangered species. This is established by the Mexican Official Standard issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

“That said regulation in Title VI Conservation of Wildlife, Chapter I Species and Populations at Risk and Priority for Conservation, establishes that species and populations at risk shall include those identified as: a) endangered, b) threatened, c) subject to special protection, and d) probably extinct in the wild.”

It should be noted that under the Wildlife Law in Mexico you can only acquire an exotic species if it is acquired through official animal vendors who verify the puppies have been born in captivity.

A week ago a family from the San Agustín colony first section got a great fright to discover that in their house there was a crocodile about one meter long.

The neighbors heard strange noises during the early morning and found the reptile. The municipal authorities rescued the copy and handed it over to the staff of the Department of Ecology and Environment who transferred it to the Ehécatl Ecological Park in the municipality of Ecatepec.

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