They held only pain, exhaustion, and complete surrender. The man crouched beside him. Only then did he see the true scale of the disaster.

The lion’s entire body was covered with large, swollen ticks. On his side was a deep, infected wound crawling with white larvae — flies were literally eating him alive. The lion didn’t roar or try to attack. He simply stood there, swaying, as if deciding whether to collapse now or endure one more minute.