Bhubaneswar: A 17-year-old lion named ‘Akash’ died due to old age at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar today.
The animal was suffering from old-age-related ailments and was under treatment for the last few days. With the death of Akash, the number of lions in the city zoo has come down to 22. Akash was provided treatment by a team of veterinary experts, keeping it in a special enclosure.
Due to illness, Akash, a lion at Nandankanan Zoological Park, was kept in a feeding room and treated with vitamins and antibiotics. He was fed eggs and chicken meatballs. Unfortunately, he died today after gradually losing his appetite. The carcass was cremated after a post-mortem examination.
Akash was brought from the Bannerghatta Zoological Park in Bengaluru, Karnataka, in 2014, along with three other lions: Narasimha, Radha, and Rukmini. With Akash’s demise, the number of hybrid lions in Nandankanan has decreased to 6. The total lion population now stands at 22, comprising 16 Asian lions and 6 hybrids
Earlier on January 26, lioness Rewa had died after giving birth to three cubs including a still born due to excess bleeding in the uterus. Rewa was brought in 2020 to Nandankanan from Kamala Nehru zoo in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, when she was four-years-old
