E-Paper | June 17, 2026

Lone lion at Rawalpindi's Lohi Bher park dies

Haseeb Bhatti Published May 21, 2015
comments
Whatsapp Channel
Add Dawn as a trusted source
Google Preferred Source

ISLAMABAD: The last living lion at Lohi Bher Wildlife Park in Rawalpindi died on Thursday along with two antelopes.

The animals reportedly died as a result of extreme heat and provision of low-quality meat.

Deputy Director of the park Anwar Aman said that an investigation into the deaths of the animals will be carried out.

Lohi Bher Park, which was established in 1992, is one of the three biggest wildlife parks in Punjab. It is situated on the outskirts of Rawalpindi.

Deaths of zoo animals in Pakistan are common due to extreme heat and the unsanitary conditions they live in.

Take a look: Capital’s zoo still in poor shape

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.
Pakistan

Read more

Born free
May 21, 2015 03:22pm
Luckily there's no superior species on the planet, or we'll all be in cages entertaining crowds.
Recommend 0
Asim
May 21, 2015 03:32pm
Sad. Those who were responsible should be punished.
Recommend 0
AHA
May 21, 2015 03:34pm
Sad. At least he is out of his miserable existence.
Recommend 0
Azmeen
May 21, 2015 03:37pm
@Born free well said.
Recommend 0
KhalidS
May 21, 2015 04:01pm
@Born free, there are, the politicians, who make their Lions eat grass for their own ambitions!! And since then, we have been given a lot of grass, imported international grass from the US and EU. And all this grass eating have made Lions sheeps! So now anyone comes here sacrifices a sheep, and moves along.
Recommend 0
Masood Ali Khan
May 21, 2015 04:01pm
He was dependent on humans for meal and unluckily we are so unkind even on other humans.
Recommend 0
jawad
May 21, 2015 04:52pm
Zoo are jails for animals.
Recommend 0
Sreenath
May 21, 2015 05:12pm
Though sad, we must consider it as the best thing that happened to the deprived soul in captivity under such unfriendly conditions of "extreme heat and provision of low-quality meat".
Recommend 0
nauman
May 21, 2015 05:17pm
Close these parks if you cannot care for these innocents.
Recommend 0
Nadeem
May 21, 2015 05:20pm
Most likely this zoo will soon be replaced by a Bahria or DHA phase and plots will be selling there like hot cakes
Recommend 0
Adeel
May 21, 2015 05:30pm
As per my knowledge there is one lioness with two cubs in separate cage as well.
Recommend 0
Kamal Pasha
May 21, 2015 06:06pm
Recently many animals in various country's zoo have died. It is surprising.
Recommend 0
khurram Khan
May 21, 2015 06:38pm
I am not sure where human beings are dying with hunger, foreign countries give animals as presents to these nations. These nation cannot take care of people in a right manner, how would they take care of animals?. Poor animals...I feel sorry for them.
Recommend 0
Ali
May 21, 2015 07:40pm
Just few days back news came - that in India one of their wild life protected area lion population have increased many folds and they have around 300 lions in that wild jungle roaming freely and hear we can't even protect the lone lion under our possession...!! instead of blaming the small officials we us a nation has to change our mindset and learn from other countries all good things and implement in our own life that will change the outlook of Pakistan in few years for good...!!
Recommend 0
Santosh Menon
May 21, 2015 08:37pm
Is it Zoo or Park?!. There's a difference between the two!.
Recommend 0
PHILOSOPHER
May 21, 2015 09:26pm
Please provide them proper feed....they are precious species
Recommend 0
anil mumbai
May 21, 2015 10:10pm
Lonly lion sorry ! where the no value of Life human beings what about you definitly you are the victim of human corruption, greedyness, carelesness dirty care.
Recommend 0
Santosh Menon
May 21, 2015 11:21pm
I don't the lion due to poor quality meat (In the wild they eat caracasses which could be days old). It has to do more with the environment (heat) & not providing water (clean). Couple of antelopes died too along with the lion & antelopes don't eat meat!!.
Recommend 0
Roar
May 21, 2015 11:33pm
The old fashion cage type zoos should be banned by some international authority like WOrld Wildlife Federation. There are plenty of zoos where animals have large areas to roam about. There need to be standards for space and food quality.
Recommend 0
Prayandprey!
May 22, 2015 05:33am
@jawad : Sentenced unjustly to life imprisonment! H ewas a "lone" lion! In nature he would have been gainfully employed and multiplied without a nation turning him into a lonely beggar and a freak for entertainment and "education"of humans !
Recommend 0
Prayandprey!
May 22, 2015 05:36am
@Adeel : "...a lioness with two cubs in a separate cage..." is a 'great' metaphor for many!
Recommend 0

Most Popular

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09

Latest Stories

Opinion

Editorial

A new deal
Updated 16 Jun, 2026

A new deal

AFTER three and a half months of war between US-Israel and Iran and an acrimonious temporary ceasefire, a genuine...
Charter of economy
16 Jun, 2026

Charter of economy

NO one expected the PTI to accept the government’s invitation to sign a charter of economy; just as few expected...
Hostage seamen
16 Jun, 2026

Hostage seamen

SOME 50 days on, 11 Pakistani nationals are still in Somali pirates’ captivity. Their appeals to the Pakistani and...
Climate choices
Updated 15 Jun, 2026

Climate choices

The country is confronting increasingly volatile weather patterns with consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, public health and economic planning.
Brief opening
15 Jun, 2026

Brief opening

WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace...
Environmental disaster
15 Jun, 2026

Environmental disaster

IT was a heartbreaking sight. A recent news report in these pages carried a picture of a sea turtle lying half ...
Dawn News English Podcasts
Subscribe