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KARACHI: An old lion died at the zoo on Friday morning, zoo staff told Dawn.
The animal had been inactive for the past one week.
“We found him dead in its enclosure today. It had no illness, though he had not been eating properly for some days. We believe that it was just because of old age that he passed away,” said additional director of the zoo Syed Aqeel Tazeem Naqvi.
According to him, the animal — about 23 years old — was the oldest big cat in the zoo that is currently home to white lions, Bengal tigers and lions, three pairs each.
The animal was donated by a private oil company in 2005 and had been living in isolation for a long time.
Meanwhile Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator Saqib Ahmed Soomro called for a report on the treatment being provided to the ailing big cat.
Last December, two puma cubs also died at the zoo.
Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2015
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Comments (29) Closed
Feb 14, 2015 11:56am
Do we need to cage them?
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Feb 14, 2015 12:25pm
Free squirrel is better than caged lion.
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Feb 14, 2015 12:34pm
Our zoo should be turned into a park without animals.........
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Feb 14, 2015 01:02pm
Beautiful animal.someone did not care to treat while he was ill. Carelessly behaviour by the administration now will lose them ad natural death
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Feb 14, 2015 01:23pm
sorry
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Feb 14, 2015 01:31pm
It must have died out of depression being locked up inside such a small space. I feel sorry for all the animals at Karachi Zoo
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Feb 14, 2015 01:55pm
I just hate the concept of a 'zoo' - enslaving animals for human entertainment - pathetic.
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Feb 14, 2015 02:32pm
@Kamran ya I compliment your view
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Feb 14, 2015 03:15pm
Animals should not be in zoos. It is like putting a human in a prison. They are born free, let them stay free.
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Feb 14, 2015 03:44pm
Finally freedom from the prison.
I am so against this concept of caging animals. how would you feel if someone puts you in a jail for Years?
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Feb 14, 2015 04:10pm
If we can't offer them good space.. leave them in lahore Safari park
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Feb 14, 2015 04:18pm
OMG such a small enclosure for the king of the jungle. It must have died of broken heart. It must have been provided with good medical attention and lots of free air & space and a partner.
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Feb 14, 2015 04:29pm
Feels quite sad that the King of the Jungle has to die like this but then God must have finally decided to relieve him/her of this life in the cage. May its soul rest in peace. One wonders whether the planet is for all living beings that God created?
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Feb 14, 2015 05:13pm
Even the Lion lost hope. Life was not worth living in Pakistan!
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Feb 14, 2015 06:24pm
painful to see but an old lion is huge
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Feb 14, 2015 06:50pm
@Mohammed absulety correct the animals should be set free. They are doctors of their own. I don't go to Zoo, it pain me lot.
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Feb 14, 2015 07:47pm
"The News that really hurts".
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Feb 14, 2015 09:30pm
Too sad, just by looking at the picture it shows what kind of bad situation zoo is in, I wish atleast one of the departments in Pakistan spend the money they get for their departments rather than eating it all up, if they can't take care of these beautiful animals just simply send them to a Country where people can. Sorry for the loss.
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Feb 14, 2015 11:14pm
Not another one. Close the zoo!
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Feb 15, 2015 01:09am
Now there's only one left - the 'Loin' of Punjab.
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Feb 15, 2015 01:20am
Indian Tigers number increases from 1700 to 2200 while Asiatic lions in Gujarat increases to from 200 to 411 in 2011.
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Feb 15, 2015 03:24am
@Ali .......one can imagine how many fools will be killed by the lions if left to wander in a safari park!..lol
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Feb 15, 2015 05:44am
I'm sure in Karachi, meat of this lion can be sold easily. People will eat it without any problem.
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Feb 15, 2015 06:38am
It's OK the average life span of lion in captivity is 20 years.At our Zoo he was about 23 years,a little longevity seen,maybe because of less eating.
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Feb 15, 2015 06:57am
Free at last! Freed from the clutches of mankind.
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Feb 15, 2015 07:39am
@pakistani - Read the age of the lion- 23 years-well beyond what they live. Simply very old.
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Feb 15, 2015 07:59am
What a pathetic condition the lion is being kept in the zoo! Same are the conditions of other animals. The veterinarians and staffs of the zoo are corrupt and unqualified. I fully agree with the comments by others that the zoo should be closed down and animals to be donated to some animal welfare organizations.
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Feb 15, 2015 08:01am
Saw this one last week. It was laying on the ground, eyes closed and without any movement. Karachi Zoo looks like in absolute mess. Its dirty and animals are bad condition. There was a camel with both humps broken. Enclosures are dirty and open enclosures look like a pice from desert. Aquarium is permanently closed and a number of enclosures are just empty. It is not a city zoo anymore. It has been converted into a local park where people go for hangout rather than watching animals.
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Feb 15, 2015 11:02am
The filth and unhygienic condition evident in this poor king of the jungle's enclosure is also reflected in the surrounding and life of this city's dwellers.
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