Rare Abyssinian lion cubs are being poisoned at a zoo in Ethiopia because staff cannot afford to keep them, a wildlife official said on Wednesday.
The dead cubs are sold to taxidermists for $170 each to be stuffed and sold as ornaments, said Muhedin Abdulaziz, the administrator at the Lion Zoo in the capital, Addis Ababa.
”These animals are the pride of our country. We need to do something about this. But our only alternative right now is to send them to the taxidermist,” Abdulaziz said. Wildlife experts estimate that only 1 000 Ethiopian lions, which are smaller than other lions, remain in the wild.
Ethiopia’s lions, famous for their black manes, are the country’s national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency.
Ethiopia’s emperors were long fascinated by lions, part of their connection with Solomon, the lion of Judah.
Despite a recent crackdown, hunters also kill the animals for their skins, which can fetch $1 000.
It costs around $6 000 a month to run the zoo, but it only receives $5 000 in revenues from entrance fees, Abdulaziz said. He added that the poisoning has been going on at least since he arrived two years ago; the number of cubs killed was not immediately clear.
Federal wildlife officials monitor the poisoning, which is painless, according to Abdulaziz.
The zoo is a popular local attraction, although poor facilities have led to concerns by international wildlife organisations. It was built in 1948 by Emperor Haile Selassie and currently has 16 adult lions and five cubs. All the cubs that were poisoned are the offspring of the adult lions. – Sapa-AP