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27-year-old veterinarian dies after attack by hippopotamus at zoo in Karnataka’s Shivamogga; probe ordered
The incident occurred when Dr Sameeksha Reddy entered the enclosure of a pregnant hippopotamus on Thursday night to monitor its body temperature, zoo authorities said
The attack happened at Tyavarekoppa Zoo in Shivamogga Thursday night. (File Photo)
A 27-year-old veterinarian succumbed to her injuries on Friday morning after being attacked by a hippopotamus at Tyavarekoppa Zoo in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district on Thursday night.
The victim, Dr Sameeksha Reddy, was recently recruited by the Karnataka forest department on a contractual basis.
The attack took place around 11.30 pm on Thursday, Karnataka forest minister Eshwar Khandre said.
“The government stands with the family of the deceased in this hour of grief. Every life is precious. May God give the family the strength to bear the pain of separation,” the minister said.
A team comprising senior veterinarians and forest officials has been appointed to investigate the tragedy, Khandre added on Friday.
According to a press note issued by the zoo authorities, Dr Reddy was at the zoo hospital to conduct a follow-up on a bird. “At approximately 11.45pm, she entered the enclosure of a pregnant hippopotamus to monitor the animal’s body temperature using a thermal camera. During this procedure, the animal reportedly turned aggressive and attacked her,” the zoo authorities said.
Dr Reddy was immediately admitted to a hospital in Shivamogga but she died around 6.30am on Friday, the forest minister said.
The minister has given out instructions to veterinarians in all zoos in the state to follow standard operating procedures (SOP) while treating animals.
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Spread on over 250 hectares of land, the Tyavarekoppa Zoo is located 10 km away from the city of Shivamogga in the Malnad region of Karnataka. The zoo also features a lion and tiger safari on account of the presence of four lions and seven tigers.
The premises are managed by the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, which looks after eight zoos in the state and has the forest minister as one of the heads of the governing council.
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