Sudan's starving lions slowly recover

The starving lions of Sudan are now slowly recovering. For weeks, an international animal welfare organization has been taking care of the lions in Al-Qurashi Park in Khartoum.

Khartoum:Images of starving lions in Sudan's capital sparked concern around the world for the animals' welfare.

The animals were victims of neglect amid the country's political upheaval.

But now they are finally taken care of.

The Sudanese authorities have granted a team led by Four Paws, an international animal welfare organization, permission to provide the animals with urgently needed food and medical care.

The lioness Kandaka was the most critical case.

The team has been providing her with first aid therapy with infusions. She was also suffering from eyesight problems.

"There is good news and bad news. The good news is that she can still see so retina is still in function. But especially her left eye is starting to build a cataract that means it is a disease of the lens, the lens is getting blind, it is an ongoing process that has to receive special treatment for right now and for her long life. So, that means we have to provide special care for Kandaka," explains Four Paws doctor Frank Goeritz.

Kandaka will need eye surgery in order not to lose complete sight.

Kandaka also suffers from kidney issues because of malnutrition, explains Four Paws.

But she has reacted positively to her treatment.

"Kandaka is now about 60kgs. When we found her she was 42 kgs, so there is progress," says Othman Mohammed, the activist who initially shared the pictures of the lions online.

The lions cannot be moved out of Sudan yet, according to Four Paws.

The organization is negotiating with the Sudanese authorities the removal of the animals from the zoo and its closure.

But for now, they have nowhere else to go.

Four lions, two males and two females are in stake; two of them still in critical condition.

The team of veterinary doctors and staff will keep feeding them until a better solution is found.

(With inputs from AP)