A hippopotamus in Ormanjhi zoo

Ranchi, July 25: The shock of separation from her father and aunt compounded by a traffic jam because of a Naxalite bandh on Thursday cost the life of a hippopotamus, which was being brought from Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysore, to Birsa Munda Biological Park, Ormanjhi.

Birsa Munda Biological Park director P.K. Verma said that the autopsy report of Ashwini (5), who died on Thursday on way to Ranchi from Mysore, has revealed that the shock of separation had severely affected the blood circulation of the female animal.

Finally, the long hours of traffic jam at Bahragora in East Singhbhum dealt the fatal blow.

The autopsy also has revealed that the hippo was pregnant.

“Ashwini was very much loved by her aunt and father in the Mysore zoo. We have been now told that the aunt used to often feed her,” said Verma.

He said when Ashwini was separated from her aunt and father to be brought to Ranchi, she resented and even tried to break open the cage she was placed in.

The hippo was apparently safe till Bahragora.

However, her condition started deteriorating after the vehicle that was ferrying the animal got stuck in a traffic jam in Jamshol, on the Orissa-Jharkhand border, for well over three hours. Later again at Bahragora, the vehicle was caught in a traffic jam, which took her life.

The paper work and other process of the animal exchange programme in which two hippopotamus (male and female), two bison and two Royal Bengal tigers were being transferred to Ormanjhi from Mysore, had cost the officials two years.

The forest officials succeeded to bring the five animals safely, except the hippopotamus, who was buried at the Ormanjhi zoo.

The paper work of animal exchange programmes take at least six months. Two zoos willing to exchange each other’s animals — especially the surplus ones — have to agree with each other before the animals are actually exchanged.

“Now, we will have to look for a female hippo for the male we have brought from Mysore for our zoo,” said Verma.