A difficult decision: Safari Park to euthanise crippled lion pair

Official says pair was born and there is no treatment for their condition

LAHORE: The Safari Park management has decided to euthanise two ailing African lions to ease their pain after months of unsuccessful treatment. In this regard, the management has sought permission from the Punjab Wildlife Department director general to euthanise the two-and-a-half-year-old African lion and lioness that were born paralysed.

Lahore Safari Park Deputy Director Chaudhry Shafqat Ali confirmed the development to The Express Tribune. "If the wildlife department grants permission, the pair will be euthanized with a lethal injection," he said.

Ali shared that the pair has been living a miserable life as they could not move their hind legs, but now they cannot even crawl. "We did everything we could to treat the paralyzed big cats. We had also sought an opinion from foreign vets in different countries."

However, nothing worked and their condition worsened, making their life even more miserable, he said. "There is no treatment for their medical condition," said Ali. "A lioness at Lahore Zoo had also suffered from the same condition and died after years of leading a crippled life."

According to the director general, several countries in the world, including Pakistan, have laws that allow the humane killing of ailing animals. However, this law has seldom been invoked in Pakistan where people believe it's not humane to euthanize an animal, even if it is ailing.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2019.