The city zoo lost a senior denizen for the second day in succession on Thursday.
Aishwarya, the lioness that had been ailing for the past month, succumbed to multi-organ failure brought about by old age.
The lioness had been shifted to the zoo hospital a month ago after it became nearly paralysed. She was then shifted from the enclosure to the animal house and treated till she was fit enough to be moved to the zoo hospital. As she spent most of her time lying down, zoo officials had to be extra careful to prevent bed sores from erupting. The lioness had not been eating much for the past two days, and died on Thursday morning.
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A post-mortem examination was conducted by a team of doctors from the Chief Disease Investigation Office at Palode led by Chief Disease Investigation Officer P.K. Sadanandan. It revealed two nodules on her spleen.
However, only a histopathology will reveal more details. Nearly two-and-a half years ago, a fibroma had been removed from Aishwarya, though she had gone on to give birth to a female cub, Gracy, after that.
Aishwarya had been brought from the Vandalur zoo in Chennai in 2008 along with Ayush, a male, when she was eight years old.
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The zoo is now left with only two lions — Ayush, who is 18, and Gracy.
On Wednesday, an elderly sloth bear had died from liver cancer at the zoo.