Karachi, Nov 24 (PTI) Pakistan's popular Karachi Zoo on Wednesday landed into a controversy after the death of a rare white lion.

The big cat was ill for the last 13 days and suffering from Pulmonary TB which was being treated by veterinarians but "he could not recover and died due to his illness at 11 am today (Wednesday)", Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) spokesperson Ali Hassan Sajid said. The KMC looks after the zoo.

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A team of veterinarians, which performed an autopsy on the lion, said the animal also had pneumonia and its lungs had stopped working.

However, social media is abuzz with unverified reports alleging that the lion, which was aged between 14 and 15 years and brought to the zoo from Africa in 2012, died due to lack of proper diet.

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Karachi administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab has ordered an inquiry into the incident and summoned a report on the reasons leading to the death of the lion.

“I am saddened to learn about the death of such a rare breed of animal. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against the zoo management if any negligence is found after the cause of the death comes to light,” he said in a statement.

The Karachi Zoo is one of the popular tourist spots in Pakistan's biggest city. There have been reports in the past also about some animals not being taken care of properly by the zoo administration.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)