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Rare Lioness Dies at British Wildlife Park

Posted on: Sunday, 3 June 2007, 15:00 CDT

A white lioness belonging to one of the world's rarest species at Britain's Paradise Wildlife Park has been euthanized because of a severe spinal abnormality.

Despite the efforts of veterinarians in the county of Hertfordshire, Nala the lioness became partially paralyzed from her spinal condition and park officials ultimately decided to put the animal to sleep, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Workers at the Broxbourne locale said they were devastated at the loss of the rare animal, which was nearly two years old.

It's tragic, director Peter Sampson said. Everyone was crying. She was such a lovely cat. There are highs and lows in our crusade for conservation and this was one of our lowest ever. But our job today is to start planning for Nala 2.

Nala had been brought to the park along with a mating lion as part of the park's partnership with South Africa's Global White Lion Protection Trust.

The newspaper said the animals spent their first six months in quarantine and were only exposed to the public in March.

Source: United Press International

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