Ailing female panther dies in zoo

Bahadurpura: Within days following the death of a 44-year old Female Elephant (Jamuna) and 15-year old male Asiatic Lion (Crazy), the ailing female panther (Deepa) breathed her last on Wednesday. The 22-year-old panther was suffering with bronchitis for the past two months and died while being treated by doctors. The post-mortem report found that the animal died of multiple organ failure.

“The post mortem lesions show congestion of lungs with lesions of small nodules in the structure scattered throughout the surface of lobes. Liver was enlarged and congested with presence of multiple cyst, stomach and intestine congestion. Right kidney was full of puss material, left kidney shows renal calculate, retention of bladder was observed,” informed the zoo authorities.

Deepa’s death comes on the close heels of death of other large mammals, including 44-year old elephant and 15-year-old Asiatic Lion. While the elephant was suffering from sprain in her hind legs resulting in her overall deterioration of health condition, the lion was suffering with a wound at forehead, forelimb and blood in urine, haematuria, self-inflicted injuries. However, the officials avoided to disclose the details of the animals which died during the past two-years.

According to some reports, during November last one cub died, whose post-mortem report is yet to be made public. Within the past one year, more than 50 animals including Indian gaur, hippopotamus, hyena, sarus crane, chimpanzee, bear and about a dozen mouse dear died. It is being alleged the Zoo authorities have failed to take precautionary measures and timely medical assistant to the animals, leading to deaths. The post-mortem reports of scores of other mammals which died during the last one year were not made public generating criticism from observers about the seriousness of the zoo authorities in providing timely treatment to the speech-less creatures.