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Baby lion dies of pneumonia at Schwerin Zoo

Sad loss at Schwerin Zoo: a lion cub has been found dead just eleven days after birth. It belonged to the offspring of the Asiatic lions, which are classified as critically endangered.

Animals - Baby lion dies of pneumonia at Schwerin Zoo

A lion cub born in mid-November has died at Schwerin Zoo. The male cub was found lifeless on November 25, the zoo announced on Thursday. Subsequent examinations revealed pneumonia. A second male cub of the Asiatic lion pride (Panthera leo persica), also born on November 14, is reportedly in good health, very active and developing well.

The latest video footage showed that the cub initially drank from its mother "Indi" as usual, then left her, remained motionless after a few minutes and no longer reacted to contact from its mother. The body was transferred to the State Office for Agriculture, Food Safety and Fisheries in Rostock for examination.

According to the zoo, the examinations there showed evidence of pneumonia. An infection via animal care with influenza viruses, coronaviruses and other typical viruses in cats could be ruled out. An accusation of high mortality as a result of inbreeding in Asiatic lions was also found to be unfounded during the investigations.

The Asiatic lion looks very similar to the African lion, but is somewhat smaller. According to the zoo, the Schwerin lions are part of the conservation breeding program of the European Zoo and Aquarium Association. According to previous information, the zoo keeps a comparatively large pride of Asiatic lions.

The lion subspecies is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the zoo, it is assumed that there are only around 350 animals left in the wild in India's Gir National Park. Originally, the species was widespread as far as the Mediterranean region.

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Source: www.stern.de

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