Karachi zoo director removed after death of rare white lion

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has removed Khalid Hashmi, the senior director of the Karachi Zoological Garden, from the post.

The move was taken after a rare white lion at the zoo died Wednesday. According to the KMC spokesperson, he was suffering from pneumonia and several other respiratory diseases.

The lion was around 14 to 15 years old and was brought to Karachi from Africa in 2012. The animal had been ill for the past 13 days.

Immediately after the death was reported, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab took notice and summoned a detailed report from the zoo management.

He said that white lions are a rare break and “strict disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence”.

On Thursday, Mansoor Qazi was appointed the new senior director of the zoo. The notification was passed by Metropolitan Commissioner Afzal Zaidi. This is the second time Qazi has assumed the post.

Earlier this week, videos of a starving white lion were circulating on social media outraging animal rights activists across the country. Rumours were buzzing that food was not adequately being supplied to animals at the zoo.

KMC, later, clarified that there was no problem with the delivery of the food and blamed it on “miscreants trying to spread propaganda against the zoo”.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/11/karachi-zoo-director-removed-after-death-of-rare-white-lion/