Amid crisis, white lions stir excitement for Venezuela’s capital zoo

Amid crisis, white lions stir excitement for Venezuela’s capital zoo

Photo: Gaby Oraa – Reuters

 

Three white lions arrived at a Venezuelan zoo last week after an ocean-crossing voyage originating in Europe, part of a bid to boost visitors at a family-friendly capital attraction and a small sign of economic recovery for the crisis-racked country.

By Reuters

Jun 2, 2022

The zoo’s recent growth marks a rare bright spot amid a prolonged economic meltdown, giving even some poorer families with a taste for exotic animals an affordable excursion as kids enter for free and adult tickets cost $1.





The two-year-old lions, a female and two males, lazily yawned or paced the length of their cages on a recent visit, housed temporarily in small pens with concrete floors and piles of straw.

“For Venezuelans that don’t have the economic means to travel far way to see these animals up close, this is really important,” said Caracas’ Caricuao Zoo official Bernardo Pereira, responsible for giving the big cats their daily meals of fresh meat and bones to chew up.

The rare white lions currently weigh about 120 kilos (265 pounds) each and were transported from a Czech Republic zoo.

Native to southern África, the majestic mammals are credited with attracting about 8,000 visitors last Sunday, a four-fold spike compared to past weekends, according to zoo coordinator Jesus Hidalgo.

Read More: Reuters – Amid crisis, white lions stir excitement for Venezuela’s capital zoo

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