An African white lion, believed to be 17 years old, was found dead in its enclosure in the Karachi Zoological Gardens.

Karachi Zoo Senior Director Raza Abbas Rizvi confirmed the death of the lion saying that the African white lion died on Saturday.

“The management and veterinary doctors are currently conducting the post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death,” he said.

Rizvi said that the African lion had completed its average lifespan, adding that the average age of a caged lion was 17 to 20 years.

He said that the African lion was taken to Karachi Zoo in 2010 when it was five years old.

Rizvi said that the customs authorities had confiscated the lion over violation of import policy in 2010 and later handed over the African lion to the Karachi Zoo administration.