Lion dies at Kanpur zoo, officials say was ‘under treatment for infections'

Indian Express

15-05-2025

TWO DAYS after the state government ordered the closure of zoos in Lucknow, Kanpur and Gorakhpur as well as the Lion Safari in Etawah after bird flu strain was detected in a tigress that died at the Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoo in Gorakhpur, an Asiatic lion undergoing treatment for the past few days died on Thursday at the Kanpur zoo.
The 15-year-old lion had been transferred to Kanpur from the Gorakhpur zoo on May 11 this year.
The lion was 'undergoing treatment for pancreatitis and liver infections,' an official said. However, the authorities have not shared the test report from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), where the animal's samples had been sent. It is unclear whether the lion was infected with a strain of bird flu.
Shraddha Yadav, Director of Kanpur Zoological Park, said samples from the lion's carcass would be sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, for further tests.
According to sources, the lion was brought to Kanpur on May 11 and was already undergoing treatment for pancreatitis and liver issues. It continued to receive treatment but died on Thursday morning.
After the report confirmed that a tigress that died earlier this month at the Gorakhpur zoo tested positive for a strain of bird flu, the government took several precautionary measures. Among these are a week-long closure of three zoological parks and the Lion Safari in Etawah for visitors, along with continuous surveillance of the animals housed there.
The three zoos are Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden in Lucknow, and Kanpur Zoological Park.
The sample of the tigress was tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal.
Following the confirmation of bird flu in a tigress that died at Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur, the Central Zoo Authority has deployed a five-member team of veterinary doctors and pathologists from leading wildlife institutions.
A government official said that the team will soon visit the Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur to conduct a thorough medical examination of the animals for any signs of bird flu.
The team is expected to submit a detailed report within 15 days, based on which further decisions regarding animal care will be taken.
The team includes representatives from the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Wildlife Health Management Department, Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun), ICAR Bareilly and Bhopal, and pathologists, the government said in a statement.