THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo on Sunday announced the birth of two newborn hyena cubs. The cubs, born on September 13, were being monitored for the last week and were found to be in good health, said zoo officials.
The cubs — born to a hyena pair brought from Kanpur— are currently in the same enclosure as their mother, which can be seen by the public. “We are maintaining a hands-free approach in looking after these cubs. The sex of the cubs can only be determined afterwards,” zoo director Manjula Devi told TNIE.
A year ago, breeding attempts were made with the same pair of hyenas but the cubs didn’t survive due to adverse weather conditions. “Days after the cubs were born, there were strong showers. They are often at risk of hypothermia, which could have caused their death too. But this time we are better prepared. If rain persists for more days, temporary shed-like facilities will be deployed,” said Zoo veterinary surgeon Dr Nikesh Kiran.
Bred in captivity, the mother was under constant monitoring by the officials throughout its pregnancy period of over 90 days. As soon as the cubs were born, the male parent and a hyena pair in the nearby enclosure were shifted to the animal house. “Even though hyenas attack as clans, they are largely solitary animals. They are unpredictable too, and we may not know if the male will attack the cub or not,” a zoo official said.
According to primary details, in exchange for different animals including emu and langur, over eight hyenas were given from the zoo to other zoological parks in the country within the last five years.
185g tumour removed from civet
A tumour weighing 185g was surgically removed from an Indian Palm Civet in the zoo by the veterinary experts. The 3.6kg civet, which was part of the duo brought in from Shivamogga Zoo in Karnataka in 2024, was subjected to the surgery after examination.
Located near the jugular vein in the neck, the removed tumour was sent for histopathology examination to the Palode State Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory. While the tumour is suspected to be a sarcoma, decisions on further treatment, including chemotherapy if needed, will be taken after the test results arrive.
The stitch was completed beneath the skin through intradermal suture, which will prevent the animals from biting them away and worsening the condition.
‘Better prepared’
A year ago, breeding attempts were made with the same pair of hyenas but the cubs didn’t survive due to adverse weather conditions. “This time we are better prepared,” said Nikesh Kiran, Zoo veterinary surgeon