Jaipur: The death of a lion cub at Nahargarh Biological Park Tuesday has once again put the spotlight on veterinary response and animal care at the facility, coming days after an internal forest department communication alleged repeated lapses in monitoring pregnancies and providing timely medical treatment to captive wildlife.
Nahargarh Biological Park
Lioness Tara, which recently gave birth to two cubs inside the Lion Safari enclosure, lost one of the newborns, Tuesday morning. The incident follows the death of a tiger cub at the park last month, intensifying concerns over the handling of newborn animals.According to a forest department statement, the cub had been reunited with its mother after birth and was being cared for normally. “The cub became weak Tuesday morning and was unable to suckle. A medical board conducted the postmortem, which attributed the death to asphyxia caused by tracheal collapse. The cub was cremated as per protocol, while the lioness remains under observation,” the forest department mentioned in a statement.However, zoo administration sources alleged a delay in veterinary intervention. They claimed the park veterinarian was informed around 7am after the cub became lethargic and stopped suckling but reached the park only after noon, by which time the cub had died. Sources said the lioness was seen repeatedly carrying and licking the cub before its death.The incident comes close on the heels of a June 29 letter written by an assistant conservator of forests, a copy of which is with The Times of India, highlighting alleged systemic shortcomings in wildlife management at the park.The letter claimed Tara’s pregnancy was not communicated to the administration, depriving the lioness of the specialised diet and care normally provided during gestation. It also referred to a tigress whose pregnancy allegedly went unreported despite a positive test. The tigress later abandoned her two cubs, one of which died on June 6 following an alleged delay in treatment.The communication further cited similar instances involving another tigress and a hippopotamus, alleging their pregnancies were not reported and their newborns later died. It also claimed delays in treating rescued and injured wild animals and stated that 22 wild animals died over a 50-day period between Dec 5, 2025, and Jan 27, 2026.During an evaluation of Nahargarh Biological Park in January, officials had also noted that the park veterinarian was on permissive duty and lived about 28 km away. Zoo administration sources claimed the situation remains unchanged.
