Lioness Laxmi, an inmate of the lion breeding centre in Etawah — a part of the ambitious Lion Safari Project of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav — died on Thursday.
She was ailing for sometime and had developed paralysis-like symptoms. Laxmi leaves behind her ailing mate, lion Vishnu, whose condition has been described as critical by a spokesman of the State Forest Department.
The cause of Laxmi’s death was stated to be cardio respiratory failure caused by multi-organ dysfunction. The Forest Department spokesman said all efforts by veterinary doctors to save Laxmi proved futile. The pair of lions, brought from Ahmedabad Zoo, was ailing for a month.
Experts called inExperts from Indian Veterinary Institute (IVI), Izzatnagar in Bareilly, Veterinary College in Mathura, Shakarbagh Zoo in Junagarh (Gujarat) and Bear Rescue Centre, Agra, had visited the lion breeding centre to treat Laxmi, the Forest Department spokesman said. Vets from Prince of Wales Zoological Garden, Lucknow, and Allen Forest Zoo, Kanpur had also visited.
Opinion was also sought from experts in the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, Zoo Society, London and Born Free Society, United Kingdom, the spokesman added.
Four pairs of lions were brought to the centre. The lion safari project, which is being developed in Fisher Forest on Etawah-Gwalior highway, was conceived in 2005 when Mulayam Singh was the Chief Minister.
The project suffered a setback when the Bahujan Samaj Party Government headed by Mayawati came to power. It was revived in 2012 when the Samajwadi Party returned to power under Mr. Akhilesh Yadav.
The safari project spans 100 acres in Fisher Forest.
