Agartala: Sepahijala Zoological Park in Tripura has reported the deaths of two lion cubs and a full-grown spotted deer within the past ten days, raising alarm among wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists.
The lion cubs, named Chiru and Miru, were both four years old. Chiru was the first to die, followed by Miru a week later. Soon after, the zoo also reported the death of an adult spotted deer. All three deaths occurred in under two weeks, sparking widespread concern.
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Postmortem have been conducted on the deceased animals, but the exact causes of death are still unknown. “We are awaiting the final autopsy reports to confirm the reasons,” said a zoo official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
These unfortunate incidents have overshadowed the zoo’s recent success in celebrating the rare natural birth of tiger triplets—an event hailed as a major conservation milestone for the state.
Senior officials from the forest department have been notified and are expected to look into the matter.
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Sepahijala Zoo has previously received acclaim for its successful hand-rearing of clouded leopard cubs, an achievement that placed the facility on the map for wildlife conservation in the region.