Marjan the Afghan lion to be buried at zoo

Marjan the lion is to be buried at the Kabul Zoo, where he suffered the torments of war.

He was found dead in his cage just a few weeks after his story attracted international attention.

The lion became a powerful symbol of Afghanistan's sufferings, with one eye lost in a grenade attack.

An aid effort led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals raised funds for Marjan and the other animals in the zoo, which fell into neglect during 23 years of war.

Despite the WSPA's efforts to improve his diet, Marjan had only a few weeks to bask in the sudden reversal of fortune.

In his last days, he had to be carried from his sleeping area to a spot where he could lie in the sun and eventually his kidneys and liver apparently gave out, says the WSPA's John Marsh.

Marsh says he found Marjan such an evocative symbol that he wants to see a statue built in his memory.