Animals Are Not Toys: Alarm from Tbilisi Zoo

The lion cub, handed over to the Tbilisi Zoo by judoka and double Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri after a scandal, requires intensive care and treatment. The condition has now stabilized. The little lion will remain under the supervision of veterinarians around the clock, as reported by the zoo.

Zoo specialists have noted that the young lion is experiencing issues related to muscle damage and development. Shortly after its admission, the animal's condition sharply deteriorated, necessitating intensive medical intervention for resuscitation.

"Animals are not toys. All this is the result of being prematurely separated from its mother and transitioning to artificial feeding," the zoo's statement reads. It remains unclear how the athlete acquired the lion cub, which cannot be legally imported into Georgia without special permission.

Recall that the scandal arose after the 24-year-old titleholder athlete published a video showing him playing with the lion cub lying on the passenger seat of his Porsche. Following the post, social networks were flooded with negative comments.