A dying lion caught in a poacher's snare and slumped in the road has been rescued after shocked tourists on safari alerted authorities and uploaded the photos to Facebook.
Graphic images show the distressed big cat lying on a road inside South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP).
Tourists alerted authorities to the situation by posting images of the injured young male on Facebook groups associated to the national park, which is a popular tourist destination.
Meliska Viljoen wrote on a closed group that they saw the lion "in the road clearly asking for help".
"i really hope they find it soon," wrote one user. Another added: "I shared it on all the Kruger groups I could ... please feel free to share this message: We are still looking to locate him to be darted and rescued."
Rangers from the park found the lion and treated its injuries and removed the snare before reportedly releasing it back into the park.
KNP said in a statement: "Upon assessment of the wounds by the vets, it appeared not to be as bad as anticipated and displayed by the images.
"On behalf of KNP management, we take this opportunity to thank you all for the contribution and support we received - from when the lion was reported up to its rescue".