Gir lion finds new home in Zurich

16-09-2010
Gir lion finds new home in Zurich
India Today.in
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/112835/India/gir-lion-finds-new-home-in-zurich.html

The reverberating snores of a sleeping lion are unmistakable sounds in the Gir Forest, but wholly unfamiliar noises amid the serenity of the Swiss Alps.

On Wednesday, however, the tranquillity of the mountains was disturbed by the deep rumbles of a tired Asiatic lion.

Jasraj, a one-year-old male lion, was in the middle of a royal nap in his enclosure at the Zurich Zoo - oblivious to the fact that an enraptured audience was watching and documenting his every move.

The siesta seemed fitful, however, as Jasraj, who was born in the enclosure, tossed and turned about before finally settling down on a large, uncomfortable-looking boulder.

Jasraj's enclosure, spread over two hectares of land, is modelled on the Gir landscape and also is filled with stimuli from his natural environment such as rocks, jungle herbs, and yes, the smell of prey - anything to help the big guy feel completely at home.

Not that Jasraj was having too much trouble in that department, though.