Shivamogga, April 15: A 12-year-old female hippopotamus ‘Hamsini’ died at the Tiger and Lion Safari in Tyavarekoppa near Shivamogga on Tuesday, zoo officials said. The same hippopotamus had caused the death of veterinary trainee Samiksha Reddy (27) of the zoo on March 19.
In a statement issued by Shivamogga Zoo Director Amarakshar V.M., it was said that Hamsini died at 3.08 pm on Tuesday. It was suspected that the animal might be pregnant; symptoms such as fetal movement, abdominal swelling and changes in behavior were observed. Although the eight-month gestation period ended in mid-March, there were no signs of labor. The animal’s food intake had decreased for the past few days and it had been appearing inactive. In this context, on April 10, a team of wildlife veterinarians from the Karnataka Zoo Authority, Mysore, conducted a comprehensive health check of Hamsini.
Blood and other fluid samples were collected and sent for laboratory testing. Based on the test reports, it was found that there was a severe infection in the uterus. The veterinarians said that the infection could have been caused by the death of the fetus in the womb. The infection had damaged the functioning of the animal’s vital organs, and they were of the opinion that the chances of recovery were ‘extremely poor’.
Even then, treatment and care continued with the cooperation of wildlife veterinarians and a consultant obstetrician-gynecologist veterinarian. However, despite continuous medical treatment and monitoring, Hamsini died on Tuesday without responding to treatment.
On March 19, Hamsini attacked Samiksha Reddy when she entered the enclosure to record her body temperature through a thermal camera. Samiksha, originally from Bangalore, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Shivamogga, but died the next day.