News Focus 1: Nigerians express anger as Zaki, the once upon a time viral lion dies.
Zaki, the lion spotted at Gamji Creational Park in Kaduna State is reportedly dead. The Lion’s photos went viral after footage of its dilapidated state was shared online by a visitor to the zoo in November 2020.
On Wednesday, March 24th, when an official from Tribune Online visited the park to find out about the recovery status quo of the lion, a staff of the park, preferring to remain anonymous, disclosed that the lion died two weeks after going viral.
“ Yes, I can confirm that the Lion has passed on barely two weeks when it’s footage went viral. Some Veterinary doctors came to take the lion for treatment later, they came with the shocking news that the lion has died as a result of some complications”, the staff said.
The lion was first discovered by a visitor to the Gamji Creational Park, he was immensely surprised when he came in contact with the malnourished animal that he couldn’t help but take pictures of it secretly with his phone. He posted the pictures on social media with this caption:
“ I was so surprised. I felt so nervous and uneasy because it was my first time seeing a Lion live. This is my first time in a zoo. I virtually saw them in movies, news and magazines. Actually, most of the animals in the zoo are not well fed. They lack proper treatment or let me say — malnutrition”.
His outburst drew the attention of some charity organizations concerned about animals freedom and the anger of well-meaning Nigerians.
When the revelation of the animals reached its zenith, findings revealed that the management of the park immediately banned the entry of visitors to the zoo and an evacuation of other animals including the lion was carried out, they were taken to an unknown destination.
The lion was as good as dead when its pictures were uploaded online, it looked painfully thin with its ribs clearly visible under its skin. This is in stark contrast to a typical full-grown male lion which weighs in at around 420 pounds, while the female lions generally weigh about 280 pounds.
Among the other animals at the zoo, the man found a skinny hyena with a horrible living condition, he also found other animals with a similar predicament, an obvious violation of the animals right.
Following the news of the death of Zaki, a commenter on Nairaland had this to say:
“ Why cage an animal you can’t properly take care of? This is animal cruelty”.
Wildlife in Nigeria is gradually getting into extinction due to a huge number of factors. Most of the zoos in Nigeria are not fit enough a habitat for the animals, many others have since been closed down or converted to other uses.
We are currently at a point in Nigeria where the history of conservation has to be rewritten. May the family of the dead lion find comfort.
SAMUEL EUNICE
