A PRIDE of emaciated lions began eating each other at a breeding farm in what has been described as the “worst animal cruelty case ever seen”.
Thirty captive lions were left to starve after a fire broke out at their compound in the Free State province of South Africa.
The starving lions started eating each otherCredit: Bloemfontein SPCA
The animals were found in awful conditions, with burnt pawsCredit: Bloemfontein SPCA
Welfare officers said that the 59 lions and three tigers that were kept at the breeding centre lived in horrific conditions, reported The Times.
The animals had already gone without food for some time before the fire, with officers claiming that one lion was killed and eaten by three of its desperate brothers.
After getting a court order to enter the property, officers found the animals famished, with burnt faces and paws from the blaze, and barely able to stand.
African lions are officially classed as “vulnerable” as their population has dropped to 20,000.
Officers said it was the worst case of animal cruelty they had ever seenCredit: Bloemfontein SPCA
They were left to starve after a fire broke out in the breeding farmCredit: Bloemfontein SPCA