BAHAWALPUR: A lion was found dead in the cage at the Bahawalpur Zoo on Oct 3.

Dawn learnt the ‘African lion’ was stated to be in his old age. The lion, which was born in the same zoo, was popular among the visitors.

The postmortem examination of the body was conducted by zoo vets.

Deputy Director of Wildlife Ali Usman Bokhari said the wild cat had completed his natural lifespan and had no teeth either.

He maintained that in the preliminary postmortem examination report, vets described the age as a factor in the death. He also denied any negligence on the part of the zoo officials.

He said the lion was 31 years old, whereas the natural life of a wild beast is between 10 and 12 years and 18 to 20 years in captivity.

The zoo now has eight lions -- two males and six females -- in addition to seven tigers with two cubs aged two years each.

The Bahawalpur Zoo is known for the fertility of lionesses in captivity. During the previous years, the zoo sold cubs to different institutions and zoos in other cities.

At the same time, the zoo has seen the death of many animals, including deer, in captivity.

Every death follows a standard departmental inquiry to find the causes of death, which mostly remains inconclusive as neither they are made public nor is any official held responsible for this alleged negligence.

Public circles alleged the negligence of the zoo staff behind the animals’ and birds’ deaths. Zoo curative Dr Tariq did not respond to Dawn’s repeated calls.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2022