A lion cub was found Saturday morning tied to a tree in the yard of a private home in the West Bank, apparently as part of an ongoing smuggling scheme, wildlife officials said.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority said the cub was found during a police sweep in the Palestinian town of Abu Dis, near Jerusalem. It has been transferred for veterinary treatment at one of the authority’s centers, said the agency.

“The cub does not have any external injuries, but he is thin,” the authority said. “After a series of further checks we will be able to see if he has any other problems.”

It was the sixth lion cub found this year. During that time, cops have also rescued at least ten monkeys.

Law enforcement officials suspect smugglers have been using drones to fly the animals into Israel and the West Bank by way of Egypt and Jordan.

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Police launched a string of operations into the illegal animal trade in recent months after footage emerged on social media of people driving in the Negev with a monkey chained to the car dashboard and a lion cub in a passenger’s lap.

Police suspect that the gangs now smuggling wildlife are the same ones responsible for trafficking drugs and cigarettes into Gaza.

The drones in question are expensive and heavy-duty, able to carry some 70 kilograms (154 pounds).

“In the past, there were no drones capable of holding such a quantity… These are drones worth hundreds of thousands of shekels,” Southern District Commander Haim Bublil has told Hebrew media.

Charlie Summers contributed to this report.


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