Govt. Rethinks Housing Exotic Animals At Mysore Zoo

“Whoever heard of a zoo not having a resident vet on site at all times? Little wonder animals are dying if there is no vet to oversee the daily management of the animals. Check out the deaths that have occurred at this zoo (at the end of this post), something is definitely not right if animals are dying left right & bloody centre…one more reason to close zoo’s; wild animals do not belong behind bars for the benefit of human entertainment!”

MYSORE: The series of animal deaths at the Mysore Zoo has worried the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, which has now decided to take a relook at housing exotic animals at the facility.

Two of the five green anacondas shipped in from Sri Lanka died within a year.

Now, the death of African hunting cheetah Tejas, who helped the Mysore facility in captive breeding of the big cat, has forced the ZAK to sit up and take note. “It is something serious and has to stop. I’ve decided to take it up on priority,” ZAK chairman Maruthi Rao Pawar told The Times of India.

African Hunting Cheetah Dies At Mysore Zoo

Tejas is suspected to have died of heart attack.

The zoo officials have sent the viscera to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Bangalore, for further testing.

According to vets, Tejas could have been killed due to the diet regimen here. Pawar said the big cat had high cholesterol (fat) which could have led to its sudden death. “We feed chicken and beef to the big cats housed in the zoo unlike abroad where horsemeat is fed,” he said.

Change in lifestyle in confinement could be a major contributor, a vet said.

“Given the back-to-back deaths, we are awaiting lab results and taking a re look at housing exotic animals at the Mysore facility,” Pawar said, adding they will consult experts in India and abroad.

“We lack vets to attend to the animals at the Mysore zoo. I’ve taken up the issue with the government,” he said. “WTF…no vet on site, how utterly stupid & incompetent; perhaps had there been a vet on site the cheetah could have been saved!”

News Link:–http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-11/mysore/37038569_1_mysore-zoo-exotic-animals-govt-rethinks

News Link To Cheetah Death:-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-09/flora-fauna/37007471_1_mysore-zoo-b-p-ravi-leipzig-zoo

Information on Mysore Zoo in India

Mysore Zoo (officially the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens) is a 245-acre (99 ha) zoo located near the palace in Mysore, India. It is one of the oldest and most popular zoos in Southern India, and is home to a wide range of species. Mysore Zoo is one of the city’s most popular

Elephant & Calf at Mysore Zoo

attractions. It was established under royal patronage in 1892, making it one of the oldest zoos in the world.

While mainly depending on entry fees for its financing, an adoption scheme introduced in the early 2000s at Mysore Zoo has been a success, with celebrities, institutions, and animal lovers contributing directly to the welfare of the zoo inmates.

Mysore Zoo Death Incidents:-

The zoo witnessed a series of animal deaths in 2004 and 2005. In August 2004, a lion-tail monkey (macaque) was found mysteriously dead.^[6] An emu and atiger were also reported to have died mysteriously. On September 4, 2004, an elephant died, reportedly of acute haemorrhagic enteritis and respiratory distress. It was reported that the illness in elephants were due to poisoning. As a safety measure, the zoo authority suspended several staff members who were allegedly responsible for the “gruesome killings”. Laboratory tests later confirmed that the two elephants, named Ganesha and Roopa, had been poisoned.^[7] This was followed by another elephant death (Komala) on 7 September despite heightened security. Komala had been scheduled to be transferred to Armenia in about a month.^[8]

On October 24, 2005, another elephant, Rohan along with his mate Ansul, died with suspicions of poisoning. The elephants were supposed to be sent toArmenia as a goodwill gesture. The Chief Minister of Karnataka immediately ordered a probe into the death of Ansul and Rohan.

Link:-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysore_Zoo

Asiatic Lion Cub Loses Battle, Dies At Mysore Zoo

MYSORE: The Mysore Zoo‘s six months battle to save an Asiatic lion cub has failed.

The seven-month old cub that was abandoned by her mother days after her birth in July; died on Wednesday.

Preliminary investigations have revealed the cub Chamundi died due to acute

Asiatic Lion

hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, executive director of the zoo B P Ravi said.

According to post mortem report released by the zoo, Chamundi was normal on Tuesday and consumed food in the evening. Early in the morning, she vomited and died by 8.45 am. She was weak and anaemic too.

Chamundi was the first Asiatic lion born at the zoo and struggled really hard for three months to survive. Though the zoo has successfully hand-reared other species, it could not save the cub which was housed at the zoo hospital since her birth.

Born to Gowri and Shankara, who arrived from the Sakkarbaug Zoo in Gujarat in 2010, on July 29 Chamundi was abandoned by her mother within two days. At first, it appeared the lion and lioness were getting used to the job of rearing their first offspring in captivity, but they abandoned the cub. Experts said lion cubs are usually rejected by the mother. Shankar was six and Gowri five when they sired Chamundi.

The cub was removed from the enclosure and put into holding room at the zoo hospital even as the Zoo Authority of Karnataka contacted the Sakkarbaug Zoo to get experts advice. The zoo authorities were told that survival of hand-fed lion cub are slim, but Chamundi pulled it off managing to intake milk initially and later switched to solid food by mid-November.

The zoo was feeding her chicken and soup to build immunity. Besides, a vet was assigned to monitor her, her holding room sanitized and temperature regulated. Except one animal keeper, no other staff was allowed near the cub to avoid her getting infected.

Mysore zoo is the only facility in Karnataka to house Asiatic lions, thanks to efforts by former cricketer Anil Kumble, who is co-vice chairman of State Board for Wildlife Board.

News Link:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Asiatic-lion-cub-loses-battle-dies-at-Mysore-Zoo/articleshow/18595489.cms

Injured tiger trapped in Kodagu – Taken To Mysore Zoo For Treatment

MYSORE/ MADIKERI: The male tiger captured near Thithimati in Kodagu is severely injured and weak, said vets at Mysore Zoo, after it was shifted there. 

They began treatment on Saturday morning to try and stabilize its worsening condition. The injuries are believed to have been sustained during a territorial fight with another tiger, zoo director BP Ravi said.

The tiger is believed to be 14 years old, and is said to have killed five cattlehead in the recent past. It is suspected to have killed a cow on Saturday, hours before it was captured in Anechowkur range in Nagarahole tiger reserve. The animal was under mild sedation when it reached the zoo at 5am.

http://www.deccanherald.com

Preliminary medical examination also revealed that the tiger has a big wound in the middle of its face, with a worn-out upper lip. The wound is full of maggots, and the tiger is in a critical condition, he stated.

The tiger, which had created fear in Thithimati town, was trapped at 11.30pm Friday night. Unoj, a teenager who stepped out of her house to answer nature’s call, sighted the tiger sleeping in a bush. She tiptoed back to her house and informed the family.

Later, the forest department trapped the animal and carried it away in a cage. The operation was guided by Hunsur wildlife ACF K D Belliappa, Mathigodu forest range officer Devaraju and his team. The tiger may require a minimum of two months to recover, Dr Umashankar from Hunsur said.

Two months ago, a male tiger was captured at Hebballa near HD Kote and shifted to the zoo, and is now recovering. It has responded to treatment and is gaining weight. It appears that both tigers were driven out of their territories due to old age and pushed to the fringe areas to sustain themselves, Ravi said, adding the zoo has proposed a rescue and rehabilitation centre at Koorghalli to take care of rescued animals.

Tiger experts are trying to locate the 14-year-old tiger’s history in their database. “We may find more details in a couple of days,” a wildlife activist told STOI.

News Link:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Injured-tiger-trapped-in-Kodagu/articleshow/16897393.cms