Manila Zoo responded to a viral video showing a lion apparently throwing a fit or seizure of some type. The video went viral after the incident shocked visitors to the zoo. The lion was filmed lying down on the ground, scrabbling its paws and stretched out. Allegedly it was a seizure, but the Philippine zoo noted that the lion's eating well and showing no ill-effects.

Lion throws fit in front of other concerned lions

Raffy, as the four-year-old Four-year-old Asiatic lion is known, fell to the ground, started shaking violently, and seemed to have a seizure, according to Loop Online.

According to them, Mark Lee, a bystander said that at the time, they never reported it to zoo officials as it "started raining." Apparently, nobody could be found to report the matter to. In the video, Raffy's enclosure partners hover anxiously as he looks debilitated. It's almost as if they know something's wrong but cannot understand his behavior.

As the lion is on the ground having some sort of bad turn, the shocked voices of zoo-goers are heard in the background. The video was posted to YouTube and elsewhere.

Manila Zoo responded to the video that went viral

Philippines Star noted that the zoo said Raffy the lion is now under observation around the clock. Apparently, he hasn't had a seizure since the video was taken.

Heinrich Patrick Peña Domingo of the Zoo's Zoology Department said that the lion seemed to be "okay" and had been through "the whole day." According to Loop, he added, "he has a normal appetite so far. We started a medical diary to note changes in the lion's appetite and behaviour as a first step.''

A veterinarian also noted the zoo reacted to the report of the lion's seizure.

Leo Trinidad Almelor noted that the lion would be tested and once a diagnosis is made if required, the proper treatment will be carried out.

YouTubers dismayed at the viral lion video

Over on YouTube, people were quick to condemn the zoo. One commenter wrote, "Get those lions out of that zoo. They don't know how to care for them at all." But someone answered that comment, saying that sometimes animals can behave like Raffy did, as it's some form of stress reliever.

Back at the zoo, Domingo said something similar according to PhilStarGolbal who wrote that he "also explained that seizures can happen to lions when they are in the wild, to protect their offsprings or their pack, especially when they are in a stressful environment."

Peter Levine wrote in his book, "Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma," that sometimes animals will go through a period of "shaking off" and it looks remarkably like an epileptic fit. However, the Manila Zoo did note that in lions, this usually happens when the lions are older. Raffy is still only four-years-old. Biology Stack Exchange frum noted that sometimes animals in captivity suffer from stress disorders.
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