A hyena, which had come from Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, Ranchi, under an exchange programme, died at the Assam zoo in the wee hours on Thursday.

Two pair of hyenas and two ostriches started their journey in a truck from Ranchi on November 22 and arrived here on November 26. The hyena which died was male. However, the female one is doing well. The ostriches are also doing well.

“The hyena went into coma two days back and died on Thursday morning,” Assam state zoo divisional forest officer Tejas Mariswamy said.

“It was visibly under stress when it had arrived. There are chances he may have picked up an infection here also.”

“We had kept him in quarantine. Any new animal is kept in quarantine for at least 28 days. If they remain healthy after 28 days, it means that they are infection free to be released in an enclosure,” Mariswamy said.

The carcass has been sent for post-mortem to the College of Veterinary Sciences.

Ranchi zoo received a black panther and three leopard cats in exchange for the pair of hyenas and ostriches.