2023-09-27 09:35:26
In a press release, the Bellewaerde team announced some very sad news this Wednesday. Aru, the park lion, has died. Here is the press release.
The Bellewaerde team had to say goodbye to the male lion Aru last week. The caregivers noticed that he was less active in his last weeks and that he had more difficulty getting around. Aru had been suffering from medical issues for some time, so it was decided to make the difficult decision to euthanize the animal. “Such a decision is not easy to make, it was the best solution for Aru,” says Melissa Nollet, veterinarian and animal care manager.
Aru – Bellewaerde
His body was donated to the morphology department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Ghent for scientific research. He was the last surviving lion, after we had to say goodbye to Kefira and Assagi. There are therefore temporarily no more lions in Bellewaerde Park. This situation is temporary, however, because Bellewaerde, a long-time member of EAZA*, has started looking for new lions and lionesses. “We hope to welcome them as soon as possible and restart the breeding program,” said Melissa Nollet.
This death is a hard blow for the entire Bellewaerde team. The lion would have been 16 years old on October 4. Aru will be greatly missed by all the staff, especially the keepers, who had formed a strong bond with the animal over the years.
For more information, it is possible to contact Melissa Nollet, veterinarian at Bellewaerde Park, on Thursday September 28 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
1695810212
#goodbye