Dying Lion begging for help rescued after tourists post photos on Facebook [Graphic Photos]

Tourists on safari were left in tears after they discovered a lion close to death with a snare around its neck in one of South Africa's top national parks.

The young male lion was found distressed and in agony by two tourists Meliska Viljoen and Meike Pettit as they drove through Kruger National Park.

They came across the young male staggering towards them while on a safari tour in Kruger National Park and  immediately they alerted park officials and posted pictures of the injured animal on Facebook. Metro UK reported.

Park officials found the lion a few hours later, sedated him and worked on removing the snare.

There was a moment vets believed they might have to put the animal down, after discovering the snare had pierced his eyeball, but luckily they were eventually able to patch him up.

‘All went well. The lion is now awake and will be monitored,’ a spokesman wrote on the Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation’s Facebook page afterwards.

The young male lion has now been returned to the wild, with Wild Heart Foundation posting a photo of ‘Percy’ finding his feet back in the wild.

Park rangers believe the snare had been placed in the park to trap smaller animals for food.

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