A royal patient on the move: SGNP's lion Bharat shifted for specialised care in Nagpur

Bharat the lion is moved to Nagpur. Representational pic

Bharat, the four-year-old Asiatic lion, currenly housed at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, is being shifted to the Wildlife Research and Training Centre at Gorewada International Zoological Park in Nagpur for advanced veterinary treatment due to multiple health complications. According to forest officials, Bharat was brought to Mumbai from Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden in January 2025 under an approved animal exchange programme.

Despite prolonged treatment, isolation management, and intensive supportive care, the lion continued to suffer from persistent hind limb paresis and did not show satisfactory clinical improvement.

To ensure safe transportation and minimise stress during the journey, the lion is being moved during night hours in an air-conditioned veterinary ambulance specially equipped for animal transport.