Tourism is one of the most lucrative businesses in the world. Many industries have spent a lot of money, time, and effort to make sure tourists keep coming. Wildlife has been a constant crowd pleaser and favorite attraction. People are willing to travel to far places just to see wildlife and to soak in the exotic experience it brings. Sadly to say, however, the tourism industry has not always been gentle to wild animals. In fact, it can be downright brutal.

Having a picture taken with a wild animal has been growing in popularity over the years, especially for species that are rare and even endangered, making this a huge moneymaker. This tourist trap, unfortunately, has come at a high cost for the well being of poor innocent animals.

One lion cub was taken from his mother to be used as a meal ticket for photo opportunities.

This little lion was separated from his mother when he was only a few months old. The cub was taken away to be used as a tourist commodity– so that travelers could take a picture with the baby lion in exchange for cash. It was bad enough that he was seized from his mother at a young age. What made things worse for this innocent cub is that he was constantly abused by his handlers to keep him from running away.

Handlers deliberately broke this cub’s legs and his spine just to ensure it could never escape.

The little lion was physically incapacitated so that it would forever be dependent on its handlers, making it impossible for him to flee from them. This is no doubt an inhumane and horrific way to treat an animal. Thankfully, the lion’s story does not end here. The cub was discovered by kindhearted people who rescued him from his sadistic situation.

The cub was close to death and had lived an unspeakable life.

The lion cub had been placed in a barn and chained up so that people could take pictures with it. He was regularly tortured and beaten into submission and he bore injuries and scars as a result of this heinous treatment. For a creature that is meant to live freely in the wild as the king of the jungle, this life was far from what he was born to be.

The story circulated a great deal that it even reached Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

The news disturbed so many people that when Vladimir Putin heard about the cub’s dire situation, he ordered that this matter be criminally investigated. The people who abused this cub deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Luckily, this little lion’s life is about to change for the better.

After surgery and care, the worst was over for this lion. He was no longer in imminent danger.

The rescued cub was named Simba. And Simba’s story became a hit on the world wide web. So many people felt empathy for this innocent lion that they wanted to help Simba. Simba’s rescuer is a Russian vet named Karen Dallakyan. Karen is an expert with animals that are in near-death conditions, having many years of experience in his field. He has saved many animals such as tigers, snakes, birds, and pretty much everything else over the span of his career as an animal doctor.

Being under the care of animal-loving people like Karen, Simba was in good hands.

This cub is learning how to play with new toys. Play is an important remedy for Simba. As time went by, Simba’s spunk and dynamism returned and the cub learned to trust his rescuers and other humans. What was once a somber little lion is now a happy and playful ball of fur.

After a year of care and treatment under Karen, Simba is near total recovery.

Simba’s story is not a one-of-a-kind narrative. There are many animals all across the world that are abused and exploited every day. Fortunately, there are people who have a soft spot for animals and will go out of their way to help them. And the world needs more people like these. Saving one lion may not be a big deal in the great scheme of things. But for this one little lion, his rescue meant the whole world to him.

Check out more photos below of Simba and his recovery!

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Source: Bored Panda, Instagram