Lion pictured having ‘critical’ procedure to help safeguard species

A lion involved in a “critical” international breeding programme was pictured having a “vital” health check under general anaesthesia.

Sahee, an Asiatic lion living at Hertfordshire Zoo, underwent a specialist procedure on Tuesday to check his fertility.

He and his female counterpart Sonika have been paired as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.

Around 700 Asiatic lions remain in the wild and they have been classified as vulnerable to extinction.

Sahee, who is nine and weighs 175kg, arrived at the zoo in April this year, but he and Sonika are yet to conceive.

On Tuesday, he was immobilised via dart gun, before the hour-long health check was carried out by a specialist team.

Hertfordshire Zoo’s managing director Tyler Whitnall commented on the significance of the procedure: “Sahee’s wellbeing is our absolute top priority, which is why we wanted to give him a full health check.

“However, the fertility scan was arguably the most critical part of this procedure.

“Sahee and Sonika are an incredibly important pairing within the international breeding programme, which is vital to safeguarding the protection of the species.”

The procedure involved electro-ejaculation to determine his fertility, a full-body X-ray, an overall health update, and an investigation into a recurring eye issue.

Afterwards, Sahee was transported back to his enclosure before the anesthesia was reversed by the veterinary team.

“This procedure was conducted under the expert eye of our dedicated team to ensure Sahee’s safety and comfort throughout, and we eagerly await the results of the fertility scan,” said Mr Whitnall.