Etawah Safari jolted, lion from Gujarat dies

KANPUR: The lion breeding plans of the state suffered another jolt on late Friday night as Tauqeer, one of the seven lions brought from Gujarat to Etawah Lion Safari around a fortnight ago, died.
The casualty dealt a severe blow to the continued efforts of breeding lions in captivity to shore up their numbers with as many as 12 big cats dying at the safari.
Etawah Lion Safari director, Vinod Krishna Singh, said Tauqeer had arrived with six other lions from Junagarh Zoo, Gujarat, on September 23.
"Tauqeer's intake was poor since arrival. We alerted senior veterinarians from Mathura and Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, and treatment was started but, it completely stopped eating on October 6," Singh said.
The veterinarians administered glucose to Tauqeer on October 10, he added.
"On Friday, Tauqeer was finally admitted to safari hospital but, all efforts proved futile and he breathed his last around 11pm," the director said. A team of veterinarians took Tauqeer's carcass to IVRI for autopsy, which would ascertain the exact cause of his death, he added.
Safari authorities, however, claimed that remaining 14 lions, including remaining six brought from Junagarh Zoo along with Tauqeer, are doing well.
At present, the safari has four lions, two lionesses and three cubs.