South African giraffe dies at Lahore zoo

LAHORE: A female giraffe imported from South Africa has died at Lahore zoo, officials said. 

According to the zoo officials, the giraffe, which had been brought in from South Africa a couple of days ago, died on Friday.

The officials claimed the animal was already ill when it reached the zoo.

The frequent deaths of animals at Lahore zoo have raised a fresh wave of questions against its management.

Earlier this year, a 12-year-old Bengal tigress died at the zoo, a few days after another tigress died.

The tigress had been brought to the zoo when she was three years old.

An eight-year-old Bengal tigress who was brought in from Bahawalpur zoo in 2014 also died at the zoo. 

In November 2017, a male cheetah passed away due to diarrhoea after spending just 30 days at the zoo.

The four-year-old cheetah and its female pair had been imported from South Africa on October 29, 2017. The female cheetah had died earlier.

Similarly, frequent deaths of animals have also been reported at Peshawar zoo, which was inaugurated in February this year. 

As many as three animals have died at the zoo, including a 10-year-old snow leopard, 10-year-old monkey and four-year-old fallow deer.