KARACHI: The Karachi Zoological Gardens has lost one of the three lion cubs born at the facility over two months back.

Sources told Dawn the cub might have died due to starvation as the mother had stopped nursing it.

“Last week, the baby was found dead in its enclosure. It had gone very weak after the mother abandoned it, apparently due to its illness,” shared a zoo official.

Zoo Director Imran Rajput, however, claimed that the “baby was born dead”.

“This is what I have been told by the staff. The other cubs are growing fine and can be seen with their mother anytime,” he told Dawn.

When he was reminded that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had officially announced in September the birth of “three healthy lion cubs”, he replied that he would inquire about it from the staff as he was a new appointee to the post.

It might be recalled that three lion cubs were born at the zoo in August this year. The KMC, however, took a month to announce the births — the first among the big cats in more than 12 years at the facility.

The sources said the birth occurred in the pair of lions that was ‘gifted’ to the KMC, along with a pair of pumas and lions, in March by a private zoo located at a housing scheme. The other pair of lions was shifted to Safari Park.

One of the pumas, however, died upon arrival at the zoo.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2024