Warning: distressing images
Poachers in South Africa have killed five lions in brutal attacks which saw one lion have its face and paws hacked off.
Horrified staff at the Akwaaba Predator Park in Limpopo say the lions were poisoned in a targeted attack and are now offering a reward for any information.
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Poachers broke into the enclosure of Mufasa, named after the character from The Lion King, and hacked off his face and front paws after killing him with poison. Staff at the park fear that the parts of the lion could have been ordered by a 'trophy hunter' or sold on to be used for black magic.
Bronwyn Moss, the park's manager, told the Citizen: "At around 11.30am, security guards patrolling the farm contacted the farm manager and told him that something was wrong with the lions.
"When the farm manager arrived at the site, he discovered the dead lions.
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"He saw a lot of blood in one cage and found that one lion's two front feet and face were chopped off.
"We suspect that the lions were all poisoned at the same time, but the poachers were disturbed by the security guards before they could get to the other lions.
"We are devastated that this could happen on our doorstep and that our babies were killed for nothing.
"The poachers murdered five and only got parts from one. What an absolute waste of life."
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In a post on Facebook, staff wrote: "Tragedy struck last night at our park. We lost five lions to murderers.
"That is what they are, they killed our babies. Our hearts are broken.
"We are down but not out.
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"As you may have seen, we are offering a cash reward for any information that leads to the successful capture and conviction of these murderers.
"Please help us, let's stand together and find these monsters."
They are now offering a 110,000-rand (£5,800) reward for anyone with information that leads to a conviction.
Featured Image Credit: Akwaaba Predator ParkTopics: Extinct, World News, Animals