Tragic Demise: Asiatic Lion 'Pataudi' Dies Amid Bird Flu Concerns

Pataudi, an adult Asiatic lion from the Gorakhpur zoo, has succumbed to illness at the Kanpur zoo, as confirmed by officials on Thursday. The lion, originally from Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden in Gujarat's Junagadh, suffered from severe liver and pancreas infections, which led to his demise despite advanced veterinary care.

This incident occurred in the backdrop of a bird flu scare in Uttar Pradesh, highlighted by the recent death of a tigress named 'Shakti' and the confirmation of the highly contagious H5 avian influenza virus by the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal. Thirteen samples from the Gorakhpur zoo have been sent for testing to monitor and prevent the spread of the virus, which can potentially affect other animals and humans.

The zoo staff have been directed to enforce stringent safety measures in line with containment strategies. Pataudi, transferred from Junagadh to Etawah Lion Safari in 2019 and then to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021 with lioness Maryam, was estimated to be around eight years old at the time of his transfer to Gorakhpur.

(With inputs from agencies.)