Bhubaneswar, May 15: A 17-year-old lion named ‘Akash’ passed away today at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar due to age-related ailments. Akash had been under veterinary care for the past several days as his health deteriorated with age. 

He was kept in a special feeding room and treated with vitamins, antibiotics, and a carefully monitored diet that included eggs and chicken meatballs. Despite the medical efforts, Akash gradually lost his appetite and succumbed to his ailments.

Veterinary experts conducted a post-mortem examination before cremating the carcass. With Akash’s death, the total number of lions at Nandankanan Zoo has now reduced to 22. Of these, 16 are Asiatic lions and 6 are hybrid lions. Akash was one of the hybrid lions.

Originally brought from Bannerghatta Zoological Park in Bengaluru in 2014, Akash arrived at Nandankanan along with three other lions—Narasimha, Radha, and Rukmini.

Earlier this year, on January 26, lioness Rewa also died after complications during childbirth. Rewa, brought in 2020 from Kamala Nehru Zoo in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, had suffered excessive bleeding while delivering three cubs, one of which was stillborn.

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