An African lioness died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur on Thursday.

The death was reported when mystery shrouded the deaths of 10 zebras in the park within a span of one month.

The lioness aged around 11 years had been suffering from illness since August last year  and it breathed its last at 1 am on Thursday, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

It  was given treatment  by the park’s veterinary officer after regular consultation with Dr ABM Shahidullah, former curator of National Zoo in Mirpur and Professor Dr Md Rafiqul Alam, director of Surgery and Obstetrics department of Veterinary Teaching Hospital under Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.

The condition of the lioness kept worsening and it deteriorated further on Wednesday afternoon as its whole body started shivering, said Dr Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, Veterinary surgeon who treated her.

Read: Zebra deaths: Safari Park project director shunted out

Ten zebras died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Parkin in a space of one month till Saturday. Nine of the earlier population of 22 zebras at the park died between January 2 and 24, according to the park authorities.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change formed a five-member inquiry committee to find out the cause of the zebra deaths and fix accountability. It has been given 10 days to submit the probe report.

Project director Md Zahidul Kabir, assistant forest conservator and in-charge of the park, Tabibur Rahman, and vet Dr Hatem Sazzad Md Julkarnine were removed from their positions and transferred by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change n the wake of the  deaths of the animals in the park.