A 26-year-old trainee veterinarian died on Friday after being attacked by a hippopotamus at the Tyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari zoo in Karnataka’s Shivamogga the previous night.

Samiksha Reddy was attacked when she entered the enclosure of the pregnant hippopotamus, which had stopped eating.

A native of Bannerghatta in Bengaluru, Samiksha had joined the zoo on contract around one-and-a-half months ago after completing her bachelor’s degree in veterinary science from the Veterinary College in Hebbal. A resident of Sakalavara near Bannerghatta, Samiksha was the only daughter of businessman Dhruva Kumar and Shailaja.

According to the safari zoo officials, the hippopotamus was due for delivery within a few days. “Samiksha initially went to inspect a sun parakeet and then went to the hippo’s enclosure at 11.45pm. She went to assess the hippo’s temperature with a thermal camera. The animal suddenly attacked her. She suffered severe injuries and heavy blood loss, which left her unconscious. The zoo staff rushed her to a private hospital in Shivamogga, but she died on Friday morning,” a zoo official said.

Karnataka forest minister Eshwar Khandre termed the incident “unfortunate”. He said the state government stood with Samiksha’s family during this difficult time. “Every life is precious. May God give strength to the family to bear this loss. I have directed the officials to provide compensation to the family as per norms,” Khandre said in a statement.

The forest minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident by a team comprising senior veterinarians and forest officials, who are expected to submit the report within a week.