Ailing lioness dies at Etawah

A lioness who was ailing for the past year died today due to multiple organ failure at the Lion Breeding Centre at Etawah, official sources said here.
A forest department spokesman said that steps were taken to provide the best treatment to the lioness, named Lakshmi, with advice having been sought from the UK's Zoo Society and Born Free Foundation regarding her case and that of an ailing lion, Vishnu.
The pair of Asiatic lions -- Lakshmi and Vishnu-- were sent to the Etawah Lion Safari in September from Kanpur Zoo, where they had arrived from Hyderabad in April, 2013.

The pair contracted 'multiple infections', including a viral one, that also led to paralysis. The two were segregated and hospitalised at the Etawah centre soon after they showed symptoms of paralysis.