Vic: Melb Zoo loses breeding lion

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2001
Vic: Melb Zoo loses breeding lion

Melbourne Zoo's lion pride has lost its breeding male, TSAVO (pron: Saavo), who was
put down on Wednesday after battling cancer.

The zoo's senior vet HELEN MCCRACKEN says, that at almost 16 years of age, TSAVO was
an elderly individual and had been suffering poor health in recent weeks.

TSAVO came to Melbourne Zoo in 1988 and sired a litter of six cubs born on New Year's
Day this year.

Spokeswoman JUDITH HENKE says the zoo has a group of nine in the pride so there won't
be any immediate moves to replace TSAVO.

The zoo's pride is now made up of the one female and five male cubs, their mother JESPAH,
her twin sister GOPAH and their mother, JULIANNA.

AAP RTV ag/gfr/pc/jh

KEYWORD: LION (MELBOURNE)

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