Paralyzed Brazilian Lion Aided by Facebook Fans (PHOTOS)

Contributions from a Facebook campaign may make it possible for a young lion named Ariel to walk again.

Ariel, the 3-year-old, 310-pound lion, is suffering from a rare autoimmune disease which paralyzed his legs about a year ago.

The lion started limping over one year ago prompting doctors to surgically remove a herniated disc they believed was causing the problem. But the procedure only made things worse and his rear legs were soon paralyzed as well.

The young lion is now being cared for by Veterinary physiotherapist Livia Pereira with the help of its owner Raquel Borges. Pereira's home has turned into a hospital since the 3-year-old lion started a landmark treatment, Reuters reported.

Raquel Borges has managed to raise funds for the treatment of the lion, which costs $11,500 a month, through donations from social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Nearly 60,000 people have clicked on the like button on Facebook and hundreds of others made donations to two bank accounts linked to Borges foundation aimed at helping abandoned animals.

A Brazilian doctor has agreed to perform the blood-cleansing treatment plasmapheresis on Ariel and a team of neurologists are flying to Brazil from Israel to perform a battery of tests and discover how best to treat the lion, Indonesianews.net reported.

So now the young lion’s life may be saved.