By Frances Cook
Happy Feet the penguin has gone from Wellington Zoo but another fascinating animal attracted hordes of people today – a lion with the flu.
Malik the lion may be upset to have the sniffles, but the public were delighted at the rare chance to get up close at Wellington Zoo today.
Visitors had a quick opportunity to pat the sedated Malik before he was driven down to the health centre, and the crowd followed to watch while vets checked him out.
Vet Mikah Jensen says getting so close causes some safety issues.
“We are being really careful about the anaesthetics, we’re making sure that we’re checking his depth and that at no point he would wake up and endanger anybody around,” Ms Jensen says.
“I think it’s just awe inspiring to be that close and completely unnatural to be that close as well.
“So I think a couple of people got to touch his feet and his paws on the way up, and I think someone said ‘wow, it’s the best day at the zoo ever’, and it’s quite a nice feeling when you can get that emotion out of someone.”
The health check was called for when zoo staff noticed the lion was drooling profusely.
It was then all hands on deck, to handle the dead weight of the 186kg lion.
Carnivore keeper Linda Cook says they are reliant on the vet team to make sure Malik is thoroughly sedated, and take extra precautions to keep staff and visitors safe.
“We will check [the lion] thoroughly before we unlock any doors, and then we have more people on hand just to help with the lifting and carrying.
“But that chemical control is the main thing, just making sure that they’re always well and truly anaesthetised.”
Spokesperson Kate Baker says their animal hospital treats zoo residents big and small every day of the week.
“This one is a little bit bigger than most and so there’s been quite a bit of interest,” Ms Baker says.
“Our profile’s increased and so people are really getting to know what the nest does which is fantastic.
“It’s been open for just over a year and people are really getting to know that we do amazing work with animals all the time, not just things like Happy Feet.”
Click on the video tab to watch extended footage of Malik the lion and an interview with Ms Jensen.
3 News