A team of international wildlife conservationists flew in Monday to&nbsp;examine&nbsp;four starving and&nbsp;sick&nbsp;lions&nbsp;at a zoo in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-sudans-economic-crisis-had-a-role-in-protests-that-toppled-al-bashir-216685">Sudanese</a> capital where a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/social-media-in-uproar-after-emaciated-african-lion-images-go-viral-275561">lioness</a> died last week.

Months of political and economic turmoil that rocked&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/32-killed-in-attack-in-disputed-south-sudan-border-region-official-275994">Sudan</a>&nbsp;from late 2018 severely damaged the health of the&nbsp;lions&nbsp;faced with shortages of food and medicine.

The five-member rapid response team from Four Paws was conducting tests on the&nbsp;lions&nbsp;at Al-Qurashi park zoo where the animals have been held for years, an AFP correspondent reported.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-attacks-on-people-and-livestock-tanzania-will-relocate-36-serengeti-lions-275220">After attacks on people and livestock, Tanzania to relocate 36 Serengeti lions</a>

A lioness died of dehydration and lack of food despite having received intravenous fluids after the launch of an online appeal for veterinary help.

The animals lost as much as two-thirds of their body weight after going unfed for weeks as&nbsp;Sudan's chronic cash shortage hit donations.

"It's now important to improve the conditions of the animals... and the next step is to find a long-term solution," Amir Khalil of Four Paws told AFP.

Khalil said carrying out tests on the animals would not be easy. "It's very difficult to approach the animals and very risky," he said.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/earths-wild-animal-population-plummets-60-per-cent-in-44-years-wwf-174289">In 44 years, humans have wiped out 60% of the world's animal population: WWF</a>

"The animals are very weak at this moment, so moving them won't be the best thing," said Juno Van Zon, another member of the team.

"I think for now we have to focus on getting the animals healthy and also to train the people."

Al-Qureshi Park is run by Khartoum municipality but funded partly by private donations, which have dried up due to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-sudans-economic-crisis-had-a-role-in-protests-that-toppled-al-bashir-216685">economic crisis</a> that sparked nationwide protests though much of last year.

An online campaign has been launched under the hashtag #Sudananimalrescue to help save the&nbsp;lions.

It is not known how many&nbsp;lions&nbsp;survive in the wild in&nbsp;Sudan, but a population lives in Dinder National Park on the border with Ethiopia.

African&nbsp;lions&nbsp;are classified as a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

A team of international wildlife conservationists flew in Monday to examine four starving and sick lions at a zoo in the Sudanese capital where a lioness died last week.

A team of international wildlife conservationists flew in Monday to examine four starving and sick lions at a zoo in the Sudanese capital where a lioness died last week. Months of political and economic turmoil that rocked Sudan from late 2018 severely damaged the health of the lions faced with shortages of food and medicine. The five-member rapid response team from Four Paws was conducting tests on the lions at Al-Qurashi park zoo where the animals have been held for years, an AFP correspondent reported. Also read: After attacks on people and livestock, Tanzania to relocate 36 Serengeti lions A lioness died of dehydration and lack of food despite having received intravenous fluids after the launch of an online appeal for veterinary help. The animals lost as much as two-thirds of their body weight after going unfed for weeks as Sudan's chronic cash shortage hit donations. "It's now important to improve the conditions of the animals... and the next step is to find a long-term solution," Amir Khalil of Four Paws told AFP. Khalil said carrying out tests on the animals would not be easy. "It's very difficult to approach the animals and very risky," he said. Also read: In 44 years, humans have wiped out 60% of the world's animal population: WWF "The animals are very weak at this moment, so moving them won't be the best thing," said Juno Van Zon, another member of the team. "I think for now we have to focus on getting the animals healthy and also to train the people." Al-Qureshi Park is run by Khartoum municipality but funded partly by private donations, which have dried up due to the economic crisis that sparked nationwide protests though much of last year. An online campaign has been launched under the hashtag #Sudananimalrescue to help save the lions. It is not known how many lions survive in the wild in Sudan, but a population lives in Dinder National Park on the border with Ethiopia. African lions are classified as a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Foreign experts in Sudan to examine sick lions

The endangered Asiatic lion, which only lives in one forest in India, has fought back from the verge of extinction, with its population increasing to more than 600, a minister said Tuesday hailing a major conservation campaign.

The lion, which once roamed across southwest Asia but is now restricted to the 1,400 square kilometre (545 square mile) Gir sanctuary in Gujarat state, was listed as critically endangered in 2000, with its population under threat due to hunting and human encroachment on its habitat.

A recent unofficial count found more than 600 lions in the area, up from 523 in a 2015 census, Gujarat&#39;s chief minister Vijay Rupani said.

&quot;Our efforts for lion conservation with support of local people have yielded good results. The number of lions now in Gujarat has reached the 600 mark,&quot; Rupani said.

In the late 1960s only about 180 Asiatic lions were thought to survive but an improvement in numbers prompted conservationists to raise their assessment to endangered in 2008.&nbsp;

The population is currently growing at about two percent a year, according to A.P. Singh, a state forest and wildlife conservationist.

The cats are cousins of the African lion -- they are believed to have split away 100,000 years ago -- but are slightly smaller and have a distinctive fold of skin along their bellies.&nbsp;

They are a major tourist attraction in Gujarat where in the past they were the target of poachers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Priyavrat Gadhvi, a member of Gujarat&#39;s wildlife board, credited conservation schemes, well-trained staff and vets as well as help from farmers for the recovery in numbers.

&quot;There is tremendous support from the local population in Gujarat who are tolerant despite lions attacking their cattle. This is coupled with effective conservation management and skilled staff at ground level,&quot; he told AFP.

Gadhvi predicted a &quot;steady growth&quot; in numbers in coming years. The next official census will be in 2020.

Conservationists have suggested relocating some of the cats to another sanctuary, to reduce human-animal conflict and avoid the risk of the Asiatic lion being wiped out by disease or a natural disaster.

A minister informed on Tuesday while hailing a major conservation campaign

The endangered Asiatic lion, which only lives in one forest in India, has fought back from the verge of extinction, with its population increasing to more than 600, a minister said Tuesday hailing a major conservation campaign. The lion, which once roamed across southwest Asia but is now restricted to the 1,400 square kilometre (545 square mile) Gir sanctuary in Gujarat state, was listed as critically endangered in 2000, with its population under threat due to hunting and human encroachment on its habitat. A recent unofficial count found more than 600 lions in the area, up from 523 in a 2015 census, Gujarat's chief minister Vijay Rupani said. "Our efforts for lion conservation with support of local people have yielded good results. The number of lions now in Gujarat has reached the 600 mark," Rupani said. In the late 1960s only about 180 Asiatic lions were thought to survive but an improvement in numbers prompted conservationists to raise their assessment to endangered in 2008. The population is currently growing at about two percent a year, according to A.P. Singh, a state forest and wildlife conservationist. The cats are cousins of the African lion -- they are believed to have split away 100,000 years ago -- but are slightly smaller and have a distinctive fold of skin along their bellies. They are a major tourist attraction in Gujarat where in the past they were the target of poachers. Priyavrat Gadhvi, a member of Gujarat's wildlife board, credited conservation schemes, well-trained staff and vets as well as help from farmers for the recovery in numbers. "There is tremendous support from the local population in Gujarat who are tolerant despite lions attacking their cattle. This is coupled with effective conservation management and skilled staff at ground level," he told AFP. Gadhvi predicted a "steady growth" in numbers in coming years. The next official census will be in 2020. Conservationists have suggested relocating some of the cats to another sanctuary, to reduce human-animal conflict and avoid the risk of the Asiatic lion being wiped out by disease or a natural disaster.

Endangered Asiatic lion population increases to 600

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Foreign experts in Sudan to examine sick lions

Endangered Asiatic lion population increases to 600