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`Poison did not kill Delhi Zoo lions'

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Autopsy reports awaited

NEW DELHI: While the autopsy reports of the eight-year-old lion and two-year-old lioness that died at Delhi Zoo here in August are still awaited from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) at Bareilly, a verbal communication from the Institute has ruled out death due to poisoning. The zoo authorities had earlier suspected that the lions could have died of poisoning.

Lion died due to lung damage

The Institute has also pointed out that the eight-year-old lion that died on August 8 had extensive lung damage.

"We will discuss the details of the cause of death only after a full report is submitted. The report should be in by early next week. We are lucky that we have had no other deaths since,'' said an official of the zoo.

The zoo had sent for testing the viscera of two of the six Asiatic lions that had died within a span of two months.

After the death of the Asiatic lions, the authorities were looking at the "possibility of death due to poisoning including snakebites, because of the fact that six lions had died during a short span of time. We had specifically asked the IVRI to look into the possibility of poisoning of some nature. In a verbal communication IVRI confirmed that poisoning wasn't the cause of death,'' said the zoo official.

Six lions had died

The zoo has lost six Asiatic lions in July and August including a lioness and four newborn cubs all housed in the same enclosure.

According to the zoo authorities, the four newborns died in July. While two were stillborn, the other two were weak and did not survive.

The zoo authorities had then refuted claims about the spread of a viral infection. The viscera samples of the dead animals were also sent to Dr. Lal's Path Lab, Delhi, which pointed to the fact that the lion had died of an unknown viral infection.

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