A 17-year-old African lion died at Karachi Zoo last week after completing his average lifespan.
The lion was declared dead by Senior Director Raza Abbas Rizvi. The big cat was one of the four cats which were confiscated by customs officials in 2010 over violation of import policy. They were later shifted to the zoo.
In a statement, senior director of recreation at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Raza Abbas Rizvi noted that the African lion had completed its average lifespan [in the cage], which is stated to be between 17 to 20 years.
The senior director added that the veterinarians were carrying out the postmortem of the deceased big cat to ascertain the cause of its death. “The animal was brought to the zoo in 2010 when it was only five years old,” he added.
Following the death, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab had called for an inquiry, promising strict action would be against those found negligent in duties.
