Sudan's suffering lions: Activists and volunteers push to rescue them

Weary, malnourished lions lie on the ground in a zoo enclosure in the Sudanese capital, their bones protruding under their skin: the upsetting images from a Khartoum park posted online have evoked worldwide sympathy and moves to save them this week.

The lions kept in Al-Qureshi Park have not had food for weeks, and one of the lions has now died, according to Sudanese activist Osman Salih.

The images were initially shared by Salih earlier this week and have since been circulated widely online, sparking a campaign to try to save the lions under the hashtag #SudanAnimalRescue.

Despite calls for improved conditions for the lions online, Salih informed his followers in a Facebook post that it was regrettably too late for one of the lions who died due to lack of food.

The lioness was given intravenous fluids, however she did not survive the treatment and died on Monday, according to Essameddine Hajjar, one of the managers at Al-Qureshi Park.

Park officials and medics told AFP that conditions had dramatically deteriorated over the past few weeks, resulting in some of the animals losing almost two-thirds of their body weight.

“Food is not always available, so often we buy it from our own money to feed them,” said Hajjar.

According to AFP, chunks of rotten meat covered in flies were also scattered near the cages, contributing to the already terrible conditions in the park.

An online petition has gained momentum, reaching hundreds of supporters calling on the Sudanese government to take the lions out of the cages and provide better conditions for them. 

The park is managed by the Khartoum municipality but is also partly funded by private donors.

After the images spread on social media, groups of volunteers went to the park to try and provide the animals with food and medication.

Salih has continued to update his followers through his Facebook page on the lions' condition, which still appeared frail, exhausted and unable to move.

The rescue project has faced some challenges, as volunteers were initially unable to receive donations for the lions through the GoFundMe platform due to economic sanctions on Sudan.

GoFundMe later clarified it had addressed the issue and that the campaign was now operational on its platform.

Sudan is currently suffering from difficult economic conditions and ongoing political turmoil after an uprising that toppled longtime ruler Omar Bashir in April.