Keshara at Ridiyagama Safari Park dies due to pneumonia

The male lion named Keshara at the Ridiyagama Safari Park died due to pneumonia, issues with its heart, and a prolonged period of depression, officials said today. 

Keshara was born in October 2017. His mother lion died following a wound soon after giving birth to Keshara. Later, Keshara was raised under the care of the workers and a veterinary team.

The lion died last week, and it was five and a half years old at the time of its death. The postmortem examination of the Keshara reported that the cause of death was due to certain issues with its lungs, and issues with its heart.

However, the director general of the National Zoological Department, Tilak Premakantha, said that the tissue of the lion has been sent to the Peradeniya Animal Hospital for further investigations related to its death. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)