An incredible, and in some ways shocking, discovery has been made in a zoo in Pakistan, a South Asian country that ranks as one of the most densely populated in the world. At this facility, during a blood draw, it came to light that one of the old lions present is blind.
The precise location of this discovery is the Karachi Zoo. Now, the international animal rights organisation Four Paws has also stepped in and advised the zoo management to treat the animal in isolation.
In the past, surgery has been carried out to restore the sight of lions, but this specimen is already a good 17 years old. A very venerable age for this type of feline, which, however, can survive longer in captivity than in the wild.
An incredible, and in some ways shocking, discovery has been made in a zoo in Pakistan, a South Asian country that ranks as one of the most densely populated in the world. At this facility, during a blood draw, it came to light that one of the old lions present was blind.
The facility in which this lion resides is the Karachi Zoo. Now, given the animal's condition, the international animal rights organisation Four Paws has also come into the picture, which has recommended that the animal be treated in isolation from other animals for its safety.
This African lion specimen is 17 years old, a very advanced age for a lion that is generally no older than 16 years (if female and in the wild) and even less for males. However, kept in captivity, these felines are able to live much longer.
In June 2022, a young Asian lion (five years old) underwent a delicate surgery that saved his life, as the specimen had gone blind due to a severe bilateral cataract. Subsequently, it was reintroduced into the wild, as it was not a captive specimen. Moreover, unlike the protagonist of this story, the lion in Pakistan is about 12 years older.
The lion, according to the official WWF website, is an endangered animal. Originally from Africa, the lion lives in a small number of 580 (again source WWF website) on the Asian continent, all belonging to a subspecies (Panthera leo persica). In Africa, the number of these animals is still significant, but worrying signs of population decline are being observed.