THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 23-year-old male lion-tailed macaque, ‘Raman’, died at the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo on Friday morning following injuries sustained in a fight between two macaques earlier this week.
The incident occurred on Wednesday while zoo staff were shifting the macaques to another enclosure for cleaning. During this process, two macaques suddenly became aggressive and attacked each other. Raman sustained serious injuries in the scuffle.
Although his external wounds were treated, veterinarians later discovered internal bleeding and multiple rib fractures. Zoo officials had planned to shift him to the Kudappanakunnu multi-speciality hospital for surgery, but he died before the procedure could be performed.
Raman was brought to the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo from the Kodanad Forest Division in 2008. According to veterinary surgeon Nikesh Kiran, infighting among lion-tailed macaques, which usually live in small groups, is not uncommon.
With Raman’s death, the zoo now has three male and three female lion-tailed macaques. The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is part of the Central Zoo Authority’s coordinated conservation breeding program for lion-tailed macaques. Zoo director Manjuladevi said steps are being taken to bring in new macaques from the Vandalur Zoo in Chennai, which coordinates the national breeding project.