Kabul zoo yesterday unveiled its new star attraction – Marjan the lion, who lived on a rooftop in the city until rescued by animal welfare officials last year when it was close to death. A businessman in the war-torn Afghan capital had bought the male lion cub as a status symbol for US$20,000 and kept his pet on a roof terrace. But the fast-growing animal was seriously ill when officials tracked him down last October. “We found him in a very dire condition. He was almost dead. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even raise his head,” veterinarian Abdul Qadir Bahawi said.
-
-
Male lion Marjan looks out from his cage in Afghanistan’s Kabul Zoo in Kabul. Staff at Kabul Zoo unveiled its new star attraction Marjan the lion, who lived on a private rooftop in the city until being rescued by animal welfare officials. Shah Marai / AFP -
Male lion Marjan looks out from his cage in Afghanistan’s Kabul Zoo in Kabul. Shah Marai / AFP -
Afghan zookeeper Qurban Ali (R), 40, plays with male lion Marjan at Kabul Zoo. Shah Marai / AFP -
Afghan zookeepers look on as male lion Marjan looks out from his cage. Shah Marai / AFP -
Marjan, a male lion, looks out from his cage in Kabul’s zoo. Omar Sobhani / REuters -
Afghan zookeeper Qurban Ali, right, attempts to intervene as Marjan a lion plays at his cage in Kabul’s zoo. Shah Marai / AFP
In pictures: Kabul’s born-again lion
Most popular today
