Caption
Fall, the wildlife veterinarian for Senegal's Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP), removes a porcupine quill from an anesthetized lioness's face in Senegal. On the last day of an expedition in which the Park's first lions were collared, a team from Senegal's Department of National Parks and Panthera found this lone, young and skinny lioness. She appeared to have become separated from her pride and was not able to hunt on her own. A closer look showed that she had a face full of porcupine quills, which were preventing her from eating. Her chances of survival were very low. Knowing that over her life, the lioness could make a significant contribution to the recovery of this Critically Endangered population, the team removed the quills from her mouth and face, disinfected her wounds and adminstered antibiotics. She was left with a few days worth of meat and chance at a new life. While too small to fit with a GPS collar, the team took genetic samples and hope to one day meet her and her offspring. Learn more at https://panthera.org/blog-post/saving-lion-injured-porcupine-senegal and https://panthera.org/newsroom/nations-first-felines-senegal-and-panthera-collar-first-ever-lions-ambitious-effort