THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: His eyes still glaze, with a vigour that may not be readily visible in his face. His walks have a majestic grace. As he looks at you, his eyes bore into you, imposing a fierce yet captivating spell. He is alert and vigilant, especially when someone new walks past him.
Ayush is the oldest lion in the state. But you may not be able to see the 18-year-old if you walk into the Thiruvananthapuram zoo nowadays as he is under special care at its hospital wing. He idles away almost all his waking hours in the enclosure. He wakes up early, around 5am, and gives out a roar. After the morning meal, he dozes off. And at night, he sometimes gets active.
For over the past two years, Ayush has been specially ‘treated’ at the zoo hospital, in an attempt to reduce his stress. Under the watchful eyes of the doctor and zoo officials, Ayush has crossed 17 --- the average lifespan of a captive lion.
Ayush’s demeanour changes the moment the zoo’s senior veterinarian Dr Jacob Alexander calls his name. With a rhythmic roar, Ayush paces towards the doctor and affectionately rubs his head on the enclosure wall.
“It is his way of saying ‘I’m okay’. A lot can be understood from his roar itself. Caring for such an old lion is challenging and we are reducing every stress that he might have. He doesn’t have any disease as of now and our focus is to ensure that he lives a long life,” the doctor said.
Ayush and lioness Aiswarya were brought from Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur in Tamil Nadu in 2008. He was so ferocious that he killed a lioness in the zoo when the duo was put together for mating. But everything changed three years ago when he became paralysed.
“He was very ferocious. When he became paralysed, we did everything to save him and make him walk again. Maybe it was then he understood that we’re here to help him,” Dr Jacob.
Ayush was on the verge of death thrice. The last instance was three years ago, when he became completely paralysed. “We administered medicine, gave him massages and physiotherapy. After weeks of intensive care, he could walk again,” he said. The past two years have been challenging for the zoo due to Covid.
“Ayush wouldn’t have survived had he contracted the disease. So we were extremely careful. Only doubly vaccinated staff are allowed to go near him” the doctor said. Deepavali is one time that makes Ayush stressful. “They develop heart and lung issues when they grow older. The loud sound during Deepavali can cause cardiac failure,” he added.
Six kilograms of meat is being given to Ayush daily, along with supplements and vitamins. His favourite is poultry. “He is a lazy fellow. We gave him a wooden ball, thinking he would play with it. But he is lazy even for that. Our only aim is to push his longevity and quality of life,” said Dr Jacob.