Lion cub found mysteriously wandering in northern Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A lion cub just a few months old was taken to a zoo in northern Serbia on Thursday after being spotted wandering on a local street, officials and media said.

Sonja Mandić of Palić Zoo said the female cub, found on the outskirts of Subotica, a town near the border with Hungary, was malnourished and weak.

Local media said a resident of Subotica saw the cub on the street and called police, who took it to the zoo. A video on social media shows the cub emerging from the grass and onto the road.

Reports also said that the cub was friendly and not afraid of people. In other videos and photographs, a policeman and local residents can be seen petting the cub.

Mandic said the lion was in “pretty bad condition” and was receiving treatment and infusions to improve his condition.

“It could be 3 to 6 months old or 5 to 6 months old, but is malnourished and possibly underdeveloped,” Mandic said.

The police have not yet issued an official statement. Trafficking in wild and rare animals is believed to be rampant in the Balkan region.