Young male Asiatic lion Gir replaces aged Lider, who died last year
The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo was preparing on Thursday to receive a new
male lion, due to arrive in Israel on an evening cargo plane flight from
Sweden.
Zoo authorities said that the rare Asiatic
lion, named Gir, is just 2 years of age and has not yet grown a full
mane. Nonetheless, Chief Carnivore Keeper Dennis Smith is taking no
chances with introducing the big cat to his new home at the zoo, where
he will join Ileniya, an elderly lioness who is 16 years old.
The lions will be kept apart at first to
prevent any super-size cat fights, although a window between their rooms
will allow them to see each other, giving keepers an idea of whether or
not they can be let out to roam together. However, even that is not
always a clear indication of what will happen once they get their paws
on each other.
“It is still a bit risky,” Smith said.
Last summer the zoo’s veteran male Asiatic lion Lider,
16, was put to sleep after veterinarians and keepers decided that his
difficulties in walking and standing, brought on by chronic back pain,
were insufferable.
Gir, who weighs over 150 kilograms, may soon
have a playmate nearer his age. Asiatic lions are an endangered species,
with only around 300 left in the Gir Forest Sanctuary in India and
another 330 in captivity. Zoos around the world are engaged in a
breeding program to try to save the faltering species from extinction.
The Jerusalem zoo has already begun searching for a possible mate to join him in the summer in the hope that they will breed.
However, with the relatively small number of
Asiatic lions available — by comparison there are over 1,600 African
lions in captivity — inbreeding is common and as a result many of the
animals have genetic disorders affecting their health.
Lider himself was born sterile as a result and
an illness that afflicted his nervous system was likely brought on by
genetic problems.
Due to their small numbers, Asiatic lions in
Europe and the region are coordinated by the European Association of
Veterinary Anatomists, which tries to pair up breeding lions.
Gir’s new environment will include an outside area to explore, and a heated room to keep off the winter chill.
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