DHAKA - The death of a lion has brought to 20 the number of animals to have died in a Bangladesh zoo since the start of the year, leading to condemnation from wildlife experts on Friday.

Bibekananda Chowdhury, acting chief zookeeper at Dhaka Zoo, confirmed to AFP that a lion had died Thursday after haemorrhaging, while a Bengal tiger was in a critical condition due to "old age".

A giraffe died on Monday following the demise of a tiger, a zebra and a tapir earlier in the year, with the total death toll now at 20, said a government official, who did not want to be named.

The giraffe death prompted government officials to suspend the zoo's chief and his deputy and to launch an enquiry, but wildlife experts said more action was needed.

Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh chief Professor Anwarul Islam said the zoo authorities lacked wildlife expertise to care for the animals.

"They don't have a wildlife biologist and the veterinarian cannot properly maintain the zoo. The zoo is for wildlife, not livestock," he said.

Niaz Ahmed Khan, of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said the high number of deaths was a "concern" and called for government action to save the animals.

Last year the zoo spent 800,000 dollars bringing 38 animals, including the three-year-old giraffe, from South Africa.