Odisha: African lioness dies of snakebite at Nandankanan Zoo
BHUBANESWAR: A 15-year-old African lioness was killed after being bitten by a Common Krait, a highly venomous snake, at Nandankanan Zoo here on Saturday.
The lioness Ganga was brought from Israel in 2015.
The Zoo deputy director Sanjeet Kumar said an animal keeper noticed Ganga in ailing condition at around 8.30 am and informed the veterinarians. A team reached the spot and found muscular paralysis and other symptoms of snakebite in the lioness.
As the team started the treatment process, a Common Krait was found near the water tank inside the enclosure.
Considering the symptoms, three vials of anti-venom were administered to the lioness. However, Ganga didn’t respond to the treatment and succumbed to the bite.
Kumar said the lioness is suspected to have been bitten by the snake much before the anti-venom treatment started for which it couldn’t be saved.
“The exact cause of the death, however, will be known after the postmortem report is received,” he said.
The Zoo deputy director also clarified that the Zoo has adequate anti-venom stock for the treatment of Zoo inmates and staff in emergencies.
“Though the Zoo cannot store anti-venom in large quantity, it has maintained adequate stock required for use during an emergency,” he said.
Meanwhile, the death of the African lioness has brought the lion population of the Zoo to 16. Besides, Ganga’s death has also brought the number of the African lion population in the Zoo to one.
Four lions had been brought to Nandankanan from Israel in 2015 to increase their population in the lion safari of the Zoo. However, two of them had already died in August 2018.
Kumar said they are in talks with Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad to bring a male African lion to Nandankanan this year.