Twitter
Advertisement

Lung failure kills hippo at Byculla zoo, only three left now

A seven-year-old female hippopotamus named Jassi died at the zoo on Wednesday morning. According to the post-mortem report, she died of pneumonia.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

A seven-year-old female hippopotamus named Jassi died at the Byculla zoo (also known as Jijamata Udyan) on Wednesday morning. According to the post-mortem report, she died of a respiratory infection (pneumonia).

“Jassi died of lung failure,” said Dr Sanjay Tripathi, a zoo veterinarian. “She was unwell for the past 15 days. She had stopped eating food from November 24. We tried to feed her, but her condition worsened due to non-consumption of food.”

Rahul Shevale, chairman of the BMC’s standing committee, pointed out that there is debris lying at various places in the zoo. Jassi’s death may have been caused by such unhygienic conditions.

“Zoo authorities should remove the debris immediately,” Shevale said.

The zoo is now left with only three hippopotamuses. Shakti, a five-year-old male hippopotamus, had died in April last year, also due to respiratory failure. The average life span of a hippopotamus is about 50 years.

Plagued with a high death rate of hippopotamuses, the zoo has stopped breeding them since 2006. “After the death of Khushi, another young female hippopotamus, we stopped breeding hippopotamuses in the zoo," said Tripathi.

The veterinarian said they could not save Jassi despite their best efforts. The zoo vets gave her antibiotics through food. But as she refused to eat, the medicines could not be administered.

Zoo officials said the seven-year-old hippo was also given enema to enable her excretion. Enema is a way of cleaning out the large intestine by introducing liquids in the body.

Built in 1861, Jijamata Udyan (formerly Victoria Gardens) is one of the oldest zoos in the country. The 53-acre zoo has been facing the wrath of animal activists for neglecting animals. Shiva, a 30-year-old rhinoceros, died after zoo officials failed to find him a mate. Laxmi, a 20-year-old leopard, also died at the zoo.

Bittu Sahgal, editor of Sanctuary Asia magazine, said, “The unfortunate hippo was large and so his death did not escape our attention. No one knows how many smaller animals die at Jijamata Udyan. The zoo is one of the worst-run in the world. It should have long ago been converted into a nature interpretation centre and botanical garden.”

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement