Rare lion cubs rescued from traffickers in Somalia

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Authorities intervened before the young animals were shipped to Dubai and potentially sold to private buyers as pets

Somali officials have intervened to save two three-month-old lion cubs smuggled on board a ship in the port of Berbera, Somalia. The brother and sister are believed to be rare Berbera lions.

They were confiscated four weeks ago after Mogadishu's port manager told Bancroft, an organisation training African Union peacekeepers in the Somali capital, of his suspicions that the animals were being trafficked as pets.

The cubs, believed to have been destined for Dubai, are now being cared for by Bancroft staff, who have suitable facilities and veterinary care because they provide teams of bomb-sniffing dogs.