Birsa Munda Zoo eyes lion pair from Chhattisgarh
Ranchi: Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park in Ormanjhi is trying to bring a lion and lioness from Nandanvan Zoo Raipur in Chhattisgarh following the death of its lone lioness earlier this week, officials said on Friday.
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Priyanka, a 15-year-old lioness brought from Bannerghatta Zoo in Bengaluru in 2014, died of an infection on Wednesday. Priyanka, zoo officials said, was a crossbreed of Asiatic and African lions. At present, the zoo has Shashank, an ageing male lion.
Zoo veterinarian Dr Om Prakash Sahu said, "The authorities are in discussion with the counterparts in Raipur Zoo to bring the pair of lions under animal exchange programme.
Although the paperwork has not yet been finished, we are hoping the pair will be brought to the zoo within two months. We will exchange the lion pair with a hyena, crocodile and deer." The vet said whether the lion pair will be used for display or breeding purposes has not been finalised yet.
The move, however, must be approved by the Central Zoo Authority.
Autopsy report of Priyanka revealed that she died of bacterial infection in her uterus.
"She suddenly fell ill on Wednesday afternoon, and her health started to deteriorate. As soon as we learnt about it, she was provided with medical attention at the zoo. However, she died despite our efforts at night on the same day. Later, after a post-mortem examination, she was cremated at the zoo's mortuary," vet Sahu added.
Dr M K Gupta, veterinary pathologist of Birsa Agriculture University, who conducted the post-mortem examination, told TOI that it is a common phenomenon of female animals contracting uterus infection, and it is often hard to detect even until it reaches advanced stages.
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"However, precautionary measures such as keeping organic wastes out of the animal's reach can prevent such infections, and that is duly taken care of at Birsa Zoo. Despite that, animals sometimes contract infections as they are exposed the natural environment," Gupta said, adding that on average, hybrid lions live up to 17-18 years on an average. Before Priyanka's death in December last year, another lioness, Jaya, died due to kidney failure in December 2024.
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