The shocking images of a lioness whose leg was almost ripped off after being gored by a buffalo - and amazingly SURVIVED

11-year-old lioness Siena suffered appalling injury in fight with buffalo

Emergency vets flown out to Kenya's Masai Mara to treat the wound

She has now rejoined her cubs and appears to be making a full recovery



A lioness whose leg was almost ripped off when a male buffalo gored her has made an incredible recovery thanks to emergency vets who flew out to treat her horrific wound.



The team of vets scrambled to the middle of the Masai Mara Nature Reserve in Kenya when they heard about 11-year-old lioness Siena's life-threatening injuries.



Staff at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - a specialist elephant rehabilitation centre - knew they would have to act quickly if they were to save the mother when they found her on April 4.

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Wound: Lioness Siena winces with pain as she struggles with the horrific injury inflicted by a male buffalo

Emergency: Vets were scrambled to the middle of the Masai Mara Nature Reserve in Kenya when they heard about lioness Siena's life-threatening injuries

Dr Njoroge from the Kenyan Wildlife Trust was flown from Nairobi to the nature reserve where the injured lioness stood with her cubs.



After she was tranquilised the team spent around three and a half hours cleaning up and stitching Siena's huge gaping wound before she was able to be returned to her cubs.



A spokesman for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust said: 'At around 9am a call was received from Governor's Camp in the Masai Mara reserve about an 11-year-old lioness named Sienna who was injured on her left lower flank by the horn of a buffalo bull.

Help arrives: Dr Njoroge and members of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operate on 11-year-old Sienna in the middle of the Masai Mara region

Operation: After Siena was tranquilised, the team spent around three and a half hours cleaning up and stitching the huge gaping wound before she was returned to her cubs

Dr Njoroge and members of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust stitch up the big cat's wound

Precaution: The lioness's head is covered with a blanket as vets perform the emergency procedure

With the wound cleaned and stitched up, an antiseptic paste was then applied to protect it and aid healing

'The DSWT immediately deployed a Kenyan Wildlife Service vet Dr Njoroge from Nairobi and organized an aircraft for him to the Mara.



'Treatment started at 3.50pm after the lioness was successfully darted. The wound was extensive and involved damage to the soft tissue and skin.



'The vet cleansed the wound using normal saline and then sultured it. Siena's treatment took approximately one and a half hours and was a great success - she was able to rejoin her pride.



'With all teams working effectively and efficiently together the life of Siena and her cubs was saved.'