The lion was in the Municipal Zoo of the city of Americana. Veterinarians following the case said he had many larvae in his body, as well as tumors and cysts.
The death of the lion Nagan, who was in a zoo in the city of Americana in inland Sao Paulo, is causing riots among lawyers, veterinarians and animal rights activists.
Suspected of neglect and mistreatment, Nagan’s death has reached the São Paulo court in an attempt to find out what really happened to the feline.
The hoax is still in its infancy, but it has already resulted in a dispute over the animal’s autopsy. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has also taken action, which should open an investigation into the case.
Nagan died on December 31, 2022 at the Parque Ecológico de Americana, a public zoo managed by the municipality, which is 126 kilometers from the capital.
On the same day, the prefecture released a statement stating that Nagan, who was 24, had died of old age.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the life expectancy of captive lions is only 24 years.
However, according to the veterinarians who accompanied the autopsy, the lion was very thin and very weak, as well as having several tumors spread across the body and wounds infested with fly larvae.
This Thursday, BBC News Brasil sought Mayor Chico Sardelli’s (PV) direction, but the city hall responded that it would make a decision only after the publication of the official autopsy report, which is expected to take place only in 40 days.
The case began Oct. 24, when counselor and activist Mirella Cecchini moved into a house next door to the Americana Zoo.
“The first day I started hearing a lion roar. So far, normal. But it has been roaring non-stop for many hours. I thought it was strange and decided to look for the zoo,” she says.
According to her, a vet at the plant replied that Nagan was fine.
“He told me he was in good health and that roaring all day was normal for an elderly lion, like a kitten. He said he was getting the best food in the world, that everything was up to Ibama standards. And he asked me to stay calm,” she says.
Mirella didn’t get to see Nagan on that first visit. But the roaring continued for the next few days, and she, suspicious and worried, decided to return to the zoo on December 21st.
“When I saw him, I was blown away by the situation. He was very thin, just skin and bones. He stood there for a long time, not moving, no strength. He could barely walk, sometimes he dragged himself,” she says. , who recorded two videos and took photos of Nagan.
The images were circulated on social networks, generating emotion and revolt among animal rights activists.
Mirella says she went to the town hall on December 21st. Some staff members told her not to worry and that Nagan was fine.
However, a few hours before the end of the year, he learned that the lion was dead.
Autopsy controversy
Advised by activists and vets, Mirella decided to go to court to try to find out what had happened. “I spent New Year’s dedicated to Nagan,” she says.
She, veterinarian Priscilla Sarti and the American Animal Protection Association filed a lawsuit demanding that the animal’s autopsy not be performed by city technicians.
“It was clear to me that the autopsy had to take place at USP, which is a public university with a lot of experience in these procedures with big cats,” explains Sarti, who specializes in domestic and feral cats.
Judge André Pereira de Souza, who was on duty, decided that it was not necessary to take the body to the USP, but that the procedure could only be performed under the supervision of a veterinarian.
The autopsy took place on January 10 at the veterinary hospital of the Faculdade de Americana (FAM), a private teaching institution that has partnerships with the city of Americana – according to people who followed the case, the management insisted that the autopsy was performed at the college.
When he entered the room, Sarti noticed that Nagan’s body had already undergone procedures: the head and two legs had been removed.
“It already seemed strange to me that the body had been modified before the autopsy, because this could change the result of the examination,” he says.
According to Jorge Salomão, technical director of the FAM veterinary hospital, the body was modified by city officials. “What they told us is that the head and limbs have been removed to go into the zoo’s freezer,” he said.
Americana City Hall did not respond to questions in the report.
The autopsy was performed by pathologist Josemara Neves Cavalcanti, who works at the FAM.
The body remains in the Faculty hospital. And the activists will now go to court to try to cross-examine the cause of death.
“Shocking State”
Veterinarian Priscila Sarti, who accompanied the procedure, says Nagan’s state “was shocking”.
“He had a tumor in his mouth and another in his jaw, both visible. There were several cysts on his liver, one of them the size of a hand. His chin and part of his neck had been eaten by fly larvae, the so – called worms. the musculature. He was so thin that he had no fat, he was skin and bones,” he explains.
To her, Nagan may have been ill for months or even years without proper medical treatment or medication to ease her suffering.
“He suffered for a long time, in a lot of pain. Not having undergone any tests or treatments, his conditions got worse. He was in such bad shape that he couldn’t eat anymore and that’s why he lost weight, he no longer «Not having the strength to got up, he kept dragging himself along,” he says.
According to Salomão, who also accompanied the autopsy, it is not possible to say what the cause of death was before the final report.
He claims that two days earlier, on December 29, he treated Nagan at the request of the prefecture. The animal was sedated and medicated. The larvae, he says, were removed in large numbers.
The vet, also a feline specialist, confirmed the lion had a number of serious health problems, such as tumors and cysts, but attributes some to his advanced age.
“She had liver disease (liver disease), kidney changes, and tumors. Some of these problems are age-related, and they’re common in house cats. She was 24 years old, and sadly, she doesn’t have much to do,” he explains.
According to him, the FAM did not charge for the service. “We act when called,” he explains.
Salomão says he examined Nagan in July 2020 when he was found to have liver disease. “We recommended drug treatment, but it was touched by the zoo itself,” he says.
City Hall did not respond if the lion was receiving any kind of treatment.
For Antilia Reis, an animal advocate who handled Nagan’s case, the story of the American lion is an example of the suffering of many animals living in zoos.
puppies
Nagan arrived in 2015 at the Parque Ecológico de Americana, which has around 400 animals, and charges R$4 for entry.
An article from the Estado de S. Paulo, published in December 2006, recounts that Nagan was the father of two lion cubs born in the Horto Municipal de São Vicente, on the coast of São Paulo.
Kiara, 3, was the mother.
He had been a father before. The puppy was named Nathan.
– This article was originally published on https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/brasil-64327207
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Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
