Wildlife Sanctuary Owner Finds Four Big Cats 'Killed By Poachers'

The owner of a wildlife sanctuary that rescues big cats has shared an emotional video of himself finding three of his lions and one rare tiger dead after being killed by poachers in South Africa.

Justin Fernandes, 32, shared a video to his Facebook page in which he came across four of his cats dying, after being poisoned.

Justin, from the Jugomaro Predator Park in Limpopo, said he went out to investigate after he heard a wolf howling, outside he found a white lion called Elvis and a rare golden tabby tiger named Kai dying in agony, the Mirror reports.

Facebook/Justin Fernandes

After carrying out a further check of his big cats, he found two more lions - Taariq and Hercules - had also been poisoned and were dying.

Kai was believed to be of only 30 of his species left in the world.

Justin claims that poachers had targeted the cats in an attempt to cut off their limbs and heads for 'witch doctor potions'.

In the clip a clearly tearful Justin can be heard telling one cat to throw up the poison, saying 'throw it out, old boy'. Sadly, it's too late for the cats, who all died before vets could get to them for treatment.

Justin, who runs the park with his parents and sister, said: "We have devoted ourselves to looking after and rescuing big cats mainly from people who buy them as pets and then realise within a couple of years they are killers.

"They come as loveable cubs but in no time they become an apex predator and then people don't want them so we give them a home to live in safely for their whole life.

"My family has been through so much over the years trying to survive financially to care for these big cats and now we have this not many people could survive all of this.

"These people who did this killed the tiger to get to the lions because they want to take the teeth and claws as in black magic they are seen as the power point of the animal.

Facebook/Justin Fernandes

"The witch doctors turn them into potions which buyers believe makes them strong. If there is one blessing it is that at least I got to them before they could be butchered."

Police who attended incident said meat was found nearby, which may have been laced with poison to drug the lions and tiger but no arrests have made.

Justin says the investigation is ongoing.

Topics: World News, south africa, Animals

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19