Eleven-year-old Jespa, the last surviving lion to be born at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), died of multiple organ failure on Sunday.
Jespa was the second lion to die at SGNP in the past two months. On October 19, 17-year-old male lion Ravindra, who was the oldest surviving lion at SGNP, died of old age health issues.
G Mallikarjun, SGNP director and Chief Conservator of Forests, confirmed Jespa’s death and said that the 11-year-old male lion had been ill for the last few years and unable to move.
“Jespa had been suffering from severe chronic osteo-arthritis, resulting to progressive muscular degeneration of hind muscles. This had led to the formation of multiple decubitus ulcers, bed-sores, septic wounds and abscess. He had been unable to move from his spot for the last 15 days,” Mallikarjun told The Indian Express on Sunday.
Jespa was born on September 22, 2011 to the male lion, Ravindra and female lion Shobha in SGNP. Ravindra and Shobha were brought from the Bannergatta Zoo to SGNP in 2009. The forest officials had not been releasing Jespa into the exhibit area, where visitors come for lion safaris, as his health conditions started to deteriorate. His body has been sent to the Mumbai Veterinary College for post-mortem, which stated that Jespa died of multiple organ failure and weakness. He was later cremated.
The incident took place two days after a new pair of lions were brought to the SGNP from the Sakkarbaug Zoological Gardens in Gujarat’s Junagadh, under an animal exchange programme that was approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). SGNP officials acquired two new lions on Friday (November 25), named D-11 and D-22. According to forest officials, these lions will be introduced to the animal safari process and be used for breeding programmes soon, to ensure that the lion population in the park increases.