Starving And Malnourished Animals At Gamji Gate Zoo In Kaduna (Photos)

A starved and malnourished lion was discovered by a shocked visitor to a zoo in Nigeria along-side a number of other severely underfed animals. 

After the man’s discovery, a wildlife charity has begun a rescue mission from the zoo in an attempt to save the life of the severely malnourished male lion.

The man was visiting the Gamji Gate zoo in Kaduna, Nigeria, and was shocked to discover the conditions the animals were being kept in.

After paying a one dollar entrance fee to the state-owned zoo, he came across a painfully thin lion – which looked as if it was on the verge of death – locked up in a cement cage.

‘The first moment I saw the animal I felt shock,’ the man, who wishes to remain unnamed, told Jam Press. ‘I was so surprised. I felt so nervous and uneasy because it was my first time seeing a lion live.

Disturbed by the scene, the man recorded his findings and quickly contacted the animal welfare charity WildatLife.e.V to assist in the rescue of the lion.

His footage and photos show the lion looking incredibly thin with its ribs visibly protruding from its stomach, a stark contrast to a typical full-grown male lion, which weighs in at around 420 pounds, while female lions generally weigh about 280 pounds.

The lion, named Zaki by the charity, is in critical condition and had been left to suffer beyond comprehension.

However, WildatLife.e.V is working alongside the Nigerian Association of Zoological parks which has assisted them in finding a wildlife vet and informing the authorities, who are investigating the matter urgently.

A spokesperson said: ‘The vet was sent and gave medical assistance to the lion but he will require further treatment which NGO WildatLife will pay for.

‘Zaki is now receiving medical care and would be relocated if he survives the ordeal to a sanctuary that will see him thrive.

Sadly, a number of other animals in the zoo looked to be in poor health and malnourished too as conditions and enclosures were completely unsuitable.

The latest rescue mission comes shortly after the organisation rescued 47 animals on the brink of death at Ziniare’s zoo in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.