LAHORE: The Lahore Zoo is struggling to come out of the effects of the blood parasite issue hitting mostly the big casts as the another two Bengal tigers have got critical being a victim of the deadly parasite trypnosomiases.

The major reason behind the outbreak of the disease in the zoo is the lack of quarantine in the zoo, say vets.

Such a facility is badly needed at the zoo to keep the affected animals in isolation.

Zoo Director Hassan Ali Sukhera told Dawn on Monday that 10-year-old Rawal, a male brown tiger, had recovered by 50 percent but it was not still out of danger. Mr Sukhera said that SAM, another white tiger, however had shown some 70 percent improvement. The zoo had five tigers until the last month, of which two had died and two were struggling for their lives.

The director said the zoo was building a quarantine in its hospital, which might be completed by June.

The zoo management in the wake of present outbreak of the parasite has started taking preventive measures, and injected the lions with preventive medicines. The zoo has 19 lions – two white African lions and 17 common African lions.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2018