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The Asiatic lion news archive - 2006
DATELINE: August 21, 2006
Six Asiatic lions dead in Delhi Zoo
* All deaths within 18 days
* New-borns first to die
* Virus found in one case
* Final report from Bareli awaited
Aman Sharma
New Delhi, August 20: IN what could be a deadly viral infection —or just a phase of “extreme bad luck” as Delhi Zoo Director D N Singh puts it — six Asiatic lions have died at the zoo in just 18 days.
Asiatic lions are an endangered species and four of them were new-born cubs. The Zoo is awaiting a forensic report from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareli.
But the postmortem report of one of the dead lions, done by an independent board of doctors, points to a viral infection. All the dead lions were housed in the same enclosure.
“We have cleared the Beat number 14 enclosure. The remaining lions in the same enclosure — a lioness and her two cubs — have been shifted to the Zoo hospital. They are to be kept under observation. The immune system of cubs is quite vulnerable. Four other lions are housed in a different enclosure.
“I believe all the deaths are normal, it is just a bad luck phase for us,” Zoo Director D N Singh told Newsline.
The deaths started on July 25 after a lioness, Anita, gave birth to four cubs. While two of the cubs died soon after the birth, the rest were shifted to the Zoo hospital and died the following day.
“Two cubs were still-born... the other two were also extremely weak and hence could not survive. Normally, a lioness can deliver 2-3 healthy cubs,” said Singh. Anita is fine.
On August 8, an 8-yr-old lioness was found dead. An independent board of doctors headed by a retired VET Director, Dr S Bahadur, was set up by the Zoo authorities to do the postmortem.
“The postmortem pointed to a viral infection. We immediately sent the samples to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareli for a detailed report,” Singh said.
The next death took place on August 13, this time of a two-yr-old lioness.
“The keepers found her limping at 9 am and shifted her to the hospital. She died the same night. The same panel conducted the postmortem and put it down to a heart attack. But the samples have been sent to Bareli,” said Singh.
The Beat number 14 enclosure was cleared and disinfected immediately.
The zoo casualty list
* This year so far, three Jaguar cubs, two white tiger cubs, a Hippo, a Bison,
an Emu, a Sambhar and four parrots have died
* Last year, three tiger cubs had died within a week of birth
* Zoo Director D N Singh says there’s a silver lining: a hawk deer
and a swamp dear were born today and are reported to be healthy. Four white
tiger cubs born last month are doing well too.
Source: The Indian Express
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=197664
More on this story...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1913592.cms
http://indiaenews.com/2006-08/19265-delhi-zoo-needs-hygiene-authority.htm
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/53027.php/Delhi_zoo_needs_better_hygiene:_zoo_authority
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