A rare white lion died, reportedly after his lungs stopped working, at the Karachi Zoo on Wednesday. A representative for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) confirmed the lion’s death, saying it had been sick for the past 13 days with pulmonary tuberculosis.
“He was being treated by veterinarians but could not recover and died due to his illness at 11 am on Wednesday,” the spokesperson said. However, as per social media reports the lion has allegedly been starved to death.
Read more- Lion allegedly starved to death in Karachi Zoo
Earlier Journalist Quatrina Hosain posted a video in which the lion was in very poor condition. She also tagged the City Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab in her post, asking him to take the action against those responsible.
Actor Ayesha Omar took to her Twitter handle to speak up against the lack of funds for animal welfare at Karachi Zoo.
Mortified to find out how animals are being kept in the #KarachiZoo, apparently because of lack of funds. And this African lion died today. They say it’s tuberculosis. He was being kept in the same enclosure as the Lioness with such a contagious disease. pic.twitter.com/GSwthV8Zly
— Ayesha Omar (@ayesha_m_omar) November 24, 2021
Actor and writer Yasir Hussain shared the news on his Instagram account while tagging Maryam Nawaz and wrote, “Sher tha aap hi bacha lete.”
Activist Shaniera Akram also took to her twitter to express her and disappointment.
B#%S!
— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) November 24, 2021
He died because we couldn't look after him!
Zoos should be a place where animals go for protection, hospitalisation,rehabilitation, recreation & breeding! At the very least, people can then go to observe them.
Anything less than that,Are NOT Zoos they are animal prisons! https://t.co/uHMmagL3rF
Earlier, other celebrities including Ahsan Khan, Areeba Habib, Ahmed Ali Butt and Anoushey Ashraf also up against the trivialising treatment of animals in Karachi Zoo.