African leopard dies due to kidney failure in Junagadh Zoo

RAJKOT: A 12-year-old African cheetah (male) died on Monday at Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh.

According to zoo officials, the African leopard 'Lestad' died due to hepatic (liver) and renal (kidney) failure because of old age. The wild cat was born at Singapore Zoo in 2002 and it was brought to Sakkarbaug Zoo in 2009.

The Sakkarbaug Zoo is run by state forest department in Junagadh.

According to forest department officials, four leopards were brought to Junagadh from Singapore Zoo under Animal Exchange Programme in 2009. Sakkarbaug Zoo got four African leopards, two males and two females- in exchange of lions.

According to sources, Sakkarbaug Zoo is the only zoo in the country which has leopards.

However, out of the four leopard, three (two male, one female) cheetah died earlier. Now, only one female leopard is left at the zoo.

Forest officials said that normal life of cheetah in captivity is 10 to 12 years.