Guest guest Posted June 11, 2006 Report Share Posted June 11, 2006 http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1949078,00.htm\ l Lions get old-age home Related articles *Here kitty, kitty...*<http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1935249,00.html> ** print article<http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_194907\ 8,00.html#> email a friend<http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1949078\ ,00.html#> New Delhi - A zoo in India's northern Punjab state has opened the country's first old-age home for lions. The Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, on the outskirts of state capital Chandigarh, has opened the facility for lions aged 15 years or older, who are unable to protect themselves from younger lions in the regular enclosures and so become underfed. " The separate off-display facility for old and infirm animals was needed as they cannot compete with other animals in the display enclosures, and are stressed by visitors, " said conservator of forests, Kuldeep Kumar. The aging and ailing " kings of the jungle " would be given proper medical care and special food in the home, which is off-limits to regular visitors. The facility currently houses three lions and expects to expand to house five more. The zoo has a rapidly aging lion population. The life expectancy of the three lions at the zoo, all Afro-Asian hybrids, is between 18 and 20 years. The last remnant of the Asiatic lion is found in the India's Gir sanctuary in western Gujarat state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 I have inspected the Zoo on request of Wildlife Trust of India about two yrs back.The lions there are hybrid and some congenital abnormality in them has developed probably due to inbreeding as a result of it the young cubs suffered from paralysis.there is no young Lion there.Some insiders say that Some Circus lions were allowed to mate with Zoo Lionesses more than a decade now.There were about 100 lions 5-6 yrs ago,but now there are less than 30.Males have been neutered. all are not of exhibition quality.it was suggested that the Lion Safari may be converted to Tiger Safari .This Zoo has very good Royal Bengal Tigers. Dr.Sandeep K.Jain Former Member,Animal Welfare Board of India & State Coordinator ,People For Animals(Punjab) On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 wrote : >http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1949078,00.ht\ ml > >Lions get old-age home > Related articles *Here kitty, >kitty...*<http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1935249,00.html> >** print article<http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_194907\ 8,00.html#> > email a friend<http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1949078\ ,00.html#> > >New Delhi - A zoo in India's northern Punjab state has opened the country's >first old-age home for lions. > >The Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, on the outskirts of state capital >Chandigarh, has opened the facility for lions aged 15 years or older, who >are unable to protect themselves from younger lions in the regular >enclosures and so become underfed. > > " The separate off-display facility for old and infirm animals was needed as >they cannot compete with other animals in the display enclosures, and are >stressed by visitors, " said conservator of forests, Kuldeep Kumar. > >The aging and ailing " kings of the jungle " would be given proper medical >care and special food in the home, which is off-limits to regular visitors. > >The facility currently houses three lions and expects to expand to house >five more. > >The zoo has a rapidly aging lion population. > >The life expectancy of the three lions at the zoo, all Afro-Asian hybrids, >is between 18 and 20 years. > >The last remnant of the Asiatic lion is found in the India's Gir sanctuary >in western Gujarat state. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 13, 2006 Report Share Posted June 13, 2006 Dear Dr Jain, Congenital defects can also occur in purebred animals due to inbreeding. As we have discussed earlier, hybridisation need not necessarily be a negative phenomenon. If we take humans for discussion, Indians in many regions constitute a mixture of races but that does not necessarily mean that hybridisation has been harmful for us. If a white person marries a black person and there is a child, the child is a hybrid but can be healthy. Hybridisation also takes place in the wild. Several bird species have been known to hybridise naturally. Contrary to popular perception, hybrids can also breed. Scientists are still searching for the ultimate definition of what a species is. Definitions of species, subspecies, race and hybrid could all be construed as subjective even in this age of biotechnology. I too have surveyed this zoo and would agree that the problem is more of overpopulation than hybridisation. I also have some doubts on what makes an animal 'exhibition quality' since no animal ever evolved to become an exhibit for humans. If you mean that the tigers are 'very good' because they are healthy, the lions could be equally good if they were likewise. But in this zoo, tigers are kept in large groups which I reckon is quite unnatural since tigers tend to be solitary animals. It would be speciesist to mete out second class treatment to the lions on account of their hybridisation. I have interacted with well known scientists who have cogently mentioned that hybridisation in captive animals is an overrated artificial issue created by zoos to continue captive breeding programmes that would not see any animals released to the wild. Some time ago, several zoos in US realised that their Orang Utans were hybrid and this led to many animals being dumped on roadside facilities despite the fact that zoo visitors would not know the difference. I take a keen interest in hybridisation of animals and am posting some information that you might deem useful. Thanks for writing. Regards and best wishes, Yours sincerely, Ghosh On 12 Jun 2006 08:14:27 -0000, Sandeep kumar jain <jeevdaya wrote: > > > I have inspected the Zoo on request of Wildlife Trust of India about > two yrs back.The lions there are hybrid and some congenital abnormality > in them has developed probably due to inbreeding as a result of it the > young cubs suffered from paralysis.there is no young > Lion there.Some insiders say that Some Circus lions were allowed to mate > with Zoo Lionesses more than a decade now.There were about 100 lions 5-6 > yrs ago,but now there are less than 30.Males have been neutered. > all are not of exhibition quality.it was suggested that the Lion Safari > may be converted to Tiger Safari .This Zoo has very good Royal Bengal > Tigers. > Dr.Sandeep K.Jain > Former Member,Animal Welfare Board of India > & > State Coordinator ,People For Animals(Punjab) > On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 wrote : > > > > http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1949078,00.htm\ l > > > >Lions get old-age home > > Related articles *Here kitty, > >kitty...*< > http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1935249,00.html> > >** print article< > http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1949078,00.htm\ l# > > > > email a friend< > http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1949078,00.htm\ l# > > > > > > >New Delhi - A zoo in India's northern Punjab state has opened the > country's > >first old-age home for lions. > > > >The Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, on the outskirts of state capital > >Chandigarh, has opened the facility for lions aged 15 years or older, who > >are unable to protect themselves from younger lions in the regular > >enclosures and so become underfed. > > > > " The separate off-display facility for old and infirm animals was needed > as > >they cannot compete with other animals in the display enclosures, and are > >stressed by visitors, " said conservator of forests, Kuldeep Kumar. > > > >The aging and ailing " kings of the jungle " would be given proper medical > >care and special food in the home, which is off-limits to regular > visitors. > > > >The facility currently houses three lions and expects to expand to house > >five more. > > > >The zoo has a rapidly aging lion population. > > > >The life expectancy of the three lions at the zoo, all Afro-Asian > hybrids, > >is between 18 and 20 years. > > > >The last remnant of the Asiatic lion is found in the India's Gir > sanctuary > >in western Gujarat state. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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