The Hindu : Lion dies at city zoo

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Lion dies at city zoo

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 30. One of the oldest lions at the city zoo breathed its last today after an agonising six years of solitary existence in a veterinary hospital ward. The animal, which was more than 17 years of age, had been suffering from an intestinal problem and frequent bleeding.Zoo authorities said the aged lion had developed pneumonia in the final stages. The animal had been under treatment ever since it was brought here six years ago. ``Though it was taking food, its condition was deteriorating rapidly. The pneumonia attack proved fatal. At this age, there was little we could do to save it,'' said the Zoo director, Yelakki.

With the death of the lion, the zoo is left with a dozen of its big cat inmates, all of which are hybrid. At least three of the big cats are well into old age and have deteriorating eyesight caused by cataract. As a result, they are able to identify food only by smell. The youngest of the lot is also condemned to solitary confinement because of a disability.

``Since the multiplication of hybrid species is prohibited by the Zoo Authority of India, we have kept the males and females in separate cages,'' says Mr. Yelakki. All the lions in the city zoo are hybrids of the Asiatic and African species. Some of them were rescued from circuses while the rest were procured from other zoos in the country.

Meanwhile, the construction of an open enclosure for lions as part of the zoo modernisation project is likely to be completed in a month. Mr.Yelakki said the zoo was hoping to procure a pair of Asiatic lions from Gujarat after the enclosure is opened. ``Unlike the hybrids, the pure breeds can be allowed to multiply. But before introducing the new animals, we have to shift the existing lot of hybrids to the rescue centres at Vandalloor or Bangalore''.

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