15-yr-old female leopard dies at Delhi Zoo

Age-related complications led to the death of a 15-year-old female leopard, Babli, at the National Zoological Park, also known as Delhi Zoo, on Wednesday.

Zoo Director Dr Sanjeet Kumar said the leopard was under treatment for the last two days. “Babli was brought from Nandanvan in Chhattisgarh in 2018, and had surpassed the average lifespan of wild leopards, which typically ranges between 10 and 12 years,” he said.

Samples have been collected during the postmortem examination and sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute for further analysis to determine the exact cause of death, officials said.

At present, the zoo houses two male leopards, aged around 15 and 13 years, and a female, aged around 8 years, officials added.