The
Zimbabwe
Parks
and
Wildlife
Management
Authority
(ZimParks)
confirmed
the
grim
discovery,
saying
the
lion
was
being
tracked
by
the
Vic
Falls
Wildlife
Trust
when
its
signal
went
static.
Rangers
followed
the
device’s
location
and
uncovered
the
remains,
raising
fears
of
escalating
poaching
in
the
region.
Authorities
suspect
the
lion
was
killed
for
its
body
parts,
which
are
highly
valued
in
illegal
wildlife
markets.
“We
are
worried
about
increased
cases
of
lion
poaching,
and
we
will
continue
to
work
with
the
police
and
other
conservation
partners
to
curb
this
challenge,”
ZimParks
said
in
a
statement.
During
the
search,
rangers
also
found
a
second
lion—an
adult
male—trapped
in
a
snare
but
still
alive.
“With
the
assistance
of
veterinary
doctors,
the
second
lion
was
successfully
treated
and
rescued
from
the
snare,”
the
agency
added.
ZimParks
has
reported
the
incident
to
the
Zimbabwe
Republic
Police
(ZRP),
and
investigations
are
underway
to
track
down
the
poachers.
Meanwhile,
anti-poaching
units
in
Victoria
Falls
and
rangers
in
the
Zambezi
region
have
intensified
patrols
to
sweep
for
snares
and
protect
vulnerable
wildlife.
“Our
teams
are
actively
conducting
snare-sweeping
patrols
within
the
surrounding
areas
to
protect
wildlife,”
officials
confirmed.
Conservationists
say
the
brutal
killing
underscores
the
growing
threat
to
Zimbabwe’s
lion
population,
calling
for
stronger
measures
to
protect
the
country’s
iconic
predators.