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IANS |
Lucknow Last Updated at December 30, 2017 19:35 IST
The Nawab Wajid Ali Shah zoo here lost one of its oldest inmates - an Asiatic lion on Saturday, officials said.
The 21-year-old lion, named Prince, was not keeping well for sometime.
Its death came as a blow to the zoo authorities as only a month back,
white tiger Aryan had also passed away.
"Prince was not keeping well for sometime now and had developed some infections. We tried out best but could not save him," said a zoo official.
All zoo keepers and attendants bid a tearful adieu to the lion. The big
cat's personal keeper Mubarak Ali, moved to tears, called it an
"irreparable loss".
--IANS
md/vd
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In 2014, the state forest department had proposed to convert the
animal rescue centre, spread over five acres at the Nahargarh Park, into
a wolf breeding centre to augment the wolf population.
Figures obtained from the forest department show that the
wolf population in Rajasthan has come from 924 in 2011 to 892 in 2016.
(HT Photo)
As the
wolf population in Rajasthan dwindle, a proposal to establish a wolf
breeding centre at Nahargarh Biological Park, Jaipur, has failed to take
off more than three years after the project was conceived.
In
2014, the state forest department had proposed to convert the animal
rescue centre, spread over five acres at the Nahargarh Park, into a wolf
breeding centre to augment the wolf population.
In the past, the
wildlife authorities in Rajasthan have used wolves in exchange
programmes and brought other wildlife animals like panther, lion and
bear from other states.
Figures obtained from the forest
department show that the wolf population in Rajasthan has come from 924
in 2011 to 892 in 2016. The population of wolves in Jaipur region has
come down from 99 to 82 in the same period. What is more worrying is
that during the 2016 census, no wolves were sighted in large parts of
the state, including Alwar, Churu, Dausa, Bikaner, Jaisalmer,
Pratapgarh, Dungarpur and Sri Ganganagar districts.
“The
proposal to establish a breeding centre at Nahargarh is pending with
the Central Zoo Authority of India,” assistant conservator of forest
(Nahargarh Biological Park) Jagdish Chand Gupta said.
Ever since
the park was inaugurated last year, most animals from the old Jaipur zoo
have been relocated to Nahargarh. A few animals left at the old zoo,
including wolves and deer, will also be relocated. In mid-2017, the
death of six wolves at Nahargarh park over a two-month period had set
the alarm bells ringing; however, no deaths have been reported recently.
Nahargarh
Biological Park, a part of the Nahargarh sanctuary is located about 12
km from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Delhi highway. Spanning across 720
hectares, it is famous for its rich flora and fauna and doubles up as a
place for education and research. It is home to more than 285 species of
birds and houses animals like Asiatic lions, Bengal tigers, panthers,
hyenas, wolves, deer, crocodiles, sloth bear and wild boar. http://www.hindustantimes.com/jaipur/proposed-wolf-breeding-centre-at-nahargarh-hanging-fire-for-3-years/story-QeKJ9mGXrBFHBHdSXDPqaJ.html
Published:
22:01 GMT, 27 December 2017
| Updated:
23:40 GMT, 27 December 2017
The lions at London Zoo are part of a breeding programme in which 70 per cent of cubs are dying, a study has found.
The lions are all descended from a very small number of ‘founders’ brought over to Europe in the 1990s.
But
the ‘extremely high degree of genetic similarity’ of the founders’
offspring is ‘detrimental’ to their health, according to researchers.
Lions at London Zoo are at risk as they are part of a breeding programme in which 70 per cent of cubs are dying
The European Endangered breeding programme was set up to save the Asiatic lion in the mid-1990s.
The idea was to have a pool of pure Asiatic lions that could be reintroduced to India if the species became locally extinct.
Nine
founder lions were brought to Europe, of which four went to London Zoo,
while the rest went to Helsinki and Zurich zoos. And even these
‘founders’ were already highly related – with six of the lions sharing
the same grandparents.
In December 2009 the EEP population
of Asian lions had risen to 93 individuals across 34 zoos. But the study
found 68.4 per cent of cubs from this family were dying at birth or
shortly afterwards.
Some 57 lions were
born between 2007 and 2009. Of these 39 died after birth, of which 35
died within 20 days, three within two months and one was euthanased at
four years old.
The report in the
journal Mammalian Biology said the breeding programme at the zoo was
‘not viable’ long term. There are currently four lions at London Zoo. Dr
Paul O’Donoghue, one of the report’s authors, said the high number of
deaths called into question the zoos’ lion conservation programme.
The Land of the Lion enclosure in London Zoo is designed to like an Indian village where the animals live in the wild
The
geneticist at the University of Chester said: ‘Sixty per cent of lion
cubs [are dying]. There are situations where they’ve bred the
grandfathers with the granddaughters. This shows that the concept that
zoos are conservation tools is completely false. This research blows
that idea apart.’
The report said the death rate was much too high considering the lions had access to top grade veterinary care.
There were 523 Asiatic lions in the wild at the last count – a species much rarer than the better known African lion.
The
EEP lions are so closely related, the report said, that further matings
were not advisable. It suggested new lions from India need to be added
to the breeding programme to ensure the ‘long-term viability of the
offspring’.
Malcolm Fitzpatrick,
curator of mammals for ZSL (Zoological Society of London) said: ‘We
welcome this study and the advancements in science that will assist in
the conservation breeding of Asiatic lions and other endangered species
in zoos throughout Europe and India.
‘[It] may also assist with management of isolated populations in the wild that themselves have limited genetic variability.’
By Express News Service |
Published: 28th December 2017 02:25 AM |
File photo of Ranitha, the Asiatic lioness at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens
MYSURU: IN what may hit the breeding
of endangered species of Asiatic lions for sometime, an asiatic lioness
died at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, popularly known as Mysuru
Zoo, on Wednesday. Ranitha, the big cat aged seven and half years, was
found injured on right and left shoulders, after a fight with her
companion Shourya on October 26. Following this, it had stopped taking
food.
Veterinarians collected blood samples and found that the animal was
also suffering from generalised infection. Even after the treatment was
launched, the animal did not show any improvement, besides going off the
feed. Blood samples were collected again along with samples of swab,
lacrimal and nasal that were sent to Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology, Hyderabad. The report is awaited. Zoo executive director C
Ravishankar said the incident occurred a day after they were released
for mating in the off-exhibited area. The animal was brought from
Sakkarbaugh Zoo in Junagadh, Gujarat, a year ago in October, under an
animal exchange programme.
While the female was brought from Sakkarbaugh, there were also plans
to bring a male from Rajkot Zoo 10 months ago. It was intended at
breeding endangered species at the menagerie. A pair of lion had been
brought from Sakkarbaugh five years ago. Gowri, the lioness, delivered a
cub after sometime which did not survive. Following the death of
Ranitha, the zoo has been left with four lions- Shourya and Gauri both
pure bred Asiatic species and Rakshita and Darshan, the cross bred
animals. http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2017/dec/28/asiatic-lioness-dies-in-mysuru-city-zoo-1738537.html
The lion cub being treated by veterinary doctor
Rajkot: A two-month-old lion cub that had developed blisters on its
body was treated by forest officials on Thursday night in Goba village
of Savarkundla forest division in Amreli district.
The cub was first spotted by a villager, who informed the forest
officials. However, it took forest officials couple of days to track
down the cub. They found three cubs with two lioness in the farm of Dilu
Khuman in Goba village of Savarkundla taluka. The forest officials had a
tough time separating the cub from its mother for treatment.
Deputy conservator of forest, Gir (East), T Karuppasamy told TOI,
"After 4-5 days we were able to separate the injured cub from the
mother. The blisters on the cub were naturally caused due to some
infection."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/2-month-old-lion-cub-treated-for-blisters-released-into-forest/articleshow/62212918.cms
The
Kankaria zoo got two new guests on Friday: Shreya, an Asiatic lioness,
and a white Bengal tigress who is still to be named. The animals, both
aged around three-and-ahalf years, have been brought from Rajkot zoo as
part of Central Zoo Authority’s exchange project. Kankaria zoo has given
74 birds and reptiles including four Indian rock pythons, two Indian
cobras, four rosy pelicans to the Rajkot zoo. Zoo superintendent RK
Sahoosaid, “We have a pair of Asiatic lions (Ambar and Janki) and a pair
of tigers (Pratap and Ananya). We will breed the new tigress with
Pratap as he is a white gene carrier. We will also breed Ambar with
Shreya for lion cubs.” http://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/get-up-claws-with-kankaria-zoos-new-attractions/articleshow/62214385.cms
One of the large cats preying on the cow in the village on Tuesday
Rajkot: Nearly 10 lions trespassed the Rampar village of Talala taluka
in Gir-Somnath district on Tuesday and preyed on a cow triggering panic
among villagers.
According to villagers, it was a pride of lion which included a few
cubs that were seen moving around in the village during the night.
They had first entered the mango orchard which is 3km from Rampara
village. Eyewitnesses said that a couple of wild cats stopped at the
entrance while others entered the village.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/lions-prey-on-cow-in-gir-somnath-village/articleshow/62184076.cms
Conservationists
believe that fewer than 50 of these 'big cats' remain in existence –
all in Iran. The problem is compounded by the Iranian government cutting
the budget of its department of the environment, which has
responsibility for protecting the country’s threatened animals.
The United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) swept in to absorb the Asiatic cheetah
conservation project. But, Anne Marie Carlsen, UNDP deputy resident
representative recently announced that Iran will be required to reassume
conservatorship, since the organization would not be extending its
support beyond Dec.
“Lack of funding means extinction for the Asiatic cheetah, I’m afraid,” Iranian conservationist Jamshid Parchizadeh said.
In 2014, the Iranian
national football team brought attention to the cheetahs by adding
images of the animal to their World Cup and Asian Cup kits. Also, August
31, 2017, was declared national Cheetah Day.
“Iran has already
suffered from the loss of the Asiatic lion and the Caspian tiger. Now we
are about to see the Asiatic cheetah go extinct as well,” Parchizadeh
added.
Asiatic cheetahs,
which have a fawn-colored coat, black spots on its head and neck and
distinctive black 'tear marks,' are slightly smaller and paler than its
African cousin.
“There were three
main protected areas in which we used to find cheetahs,” according to
Urs Breitenmoser of the Cat Specialist Group.
“There are now none
left in the western area, at Kavir, while in the southern region the
animals are too thinly spread for enough to meet and breed. Only in the
north, around Touran and Miandasht, are there any signs that there are
enough cheetahs to maintain a population.”
The animals inhabited
several Asian countries. In India, the cats were extinct as a result of
being hunted for sport as well as farmers.
“There have been all
sorts of threats to the Asiatic cheetah,” conservation biologist Sam
Williams, of South Africa's University of Venda, said. “For example,
they are hunted and killed by local herders – of sheep and goats –
because cheetahs will occasionally kill and eat one of their animals.”
“Iran has faced heavy
international economic sanctions since 1980, and international agencies
have been encountering a lot of problems transferring money into the
country for many years,” said Williams. “The crucial point is that that
money could have been used for the implementation of conservation
strategies.”
In
a joint letter to Nature, Parchizadeh and Williams warned that without
the UNDP’s support, there is little hope for the Asiatic cheetah.
“Management of the
project will now fall mainly to Iran’s department of the environment,
the head of which has declared the cheetah ‘doomed to extinction’ on the
basis of its declining numbers since 2001. We urge Iran’s government
not to give up on cheetah conservation,” the letter read.
Iran’s Department of
Environment (DOE) has presented a $375,000 budget proposal to Budget and
Planning Organization for Asiatic cheetah conservation plans.
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on Earth.
https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Less-Than-50-Asiatic-Cheetahs-Left-in-Iran-Conservations-20171218-0005.html
