"Depressed After Losing Mate, Unable to Eat for Over 40 Days"... Emaciated Male Lion in China

A story has emerged from China about a lion that became emaciated, reduced to skin and bones, after not eating for more than 40 days following the loss of its female companion. It has been reported that the lion has since regained its health after receiving treatment and meeting a new mate.

A video of a lion, emaciated like a sheet of paper, filmed at the Dongshan Zoo in Benshi City, Liaoning Province, China, has spread on social media (SNS). SNS

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On April 14 (local time), Chinese media outlets such as Zhonghua Net reported, "Recently, a video showing an emaciated lion, as thin as a sheet of paper, filmed at the Dong-Shizhi Zoo in Benshi City, Liaoning Province, China, has spread on social networking services (SNS)."

The video shows a male lion lying inside the zoo enclosure. The lion appears extremely thin overall, with its bones clearly visible.

As controversy arose over the lion's emaciated appearance, the Dong-Shizhi Zoo in Benshi City explained the situation on April 14. According to the zoo, the lion in the photo is a male African lion named "Damao." Damao entered the zoo in April 2021 at about nine years of age and is now 14 years old.

However, after his mate "Panpan" died of old age in August last year, Damao began to show signs of depression, and his food intake gradually decreased. Starting in December of the same year, his condition severely deteriorated, and it is reported that Damao ate almost nothing for more than 40 days. Although he continued to drink water normally, he only consumed small amounts of food sporadically. Damao became visibly thinner and was barely moving.

The zoo stated that during this period, Damao received intensive treatment and care. After continuous medical attention and management, he gradually began to eat normally again from the end of February. He is currently in the recovery stage, consuming about 5 kilograms of beef and chicken per day.

His physical strength, activity level, and weight have all been gradually recovering. In particular, as temperatures have risen recently, Damao has resumed outdoor activities such as basking in the sun in the outdoor enclosure. It has also been reported that he has accepted a new female African lion, "Doudou," as his companion.

The zoo has additionally released a recent video of Damao. The footage shows that after more than 40 days of treatment, his food intake has returned to almost normal levels over the past month.

Meanwhile, the Dong-Shizhi Zoo in Benshi City is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and is a large, comprehensive zoo that combines animal and plant viewing, ecological education, and forest experiences.

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