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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Caretaker injured by elephant at Delhi zoo
An elephant caretaker in the Delhi zoo suffered injuries on Friday after an Indian elephant at the facility attacked him, zoo officials said, adding that the mahout (caretaker) has been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital with fractured ribs. An official said the animal, Hira, was bothered by the mahout's behaviour. 'Indian elephants are docile by nature. Further, Hira is not in musth (a state where reproductive hormones increase in male elephants, leading to aggressive behaviour) either. There are no permanent mahouts and this can be characterised as mismanagement,' the official said. A video of the incident was shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which showed the elephant chained to a hook on the ground and three men engaging with him from a distance. Later in the video, the elephant gets aggressive and runs towards the men, while two of them flee. Hira then attacks the third man, injuring him. 'The video shows that the mahout was misbehaving, which likely agitated the elephant,' a zoo official said. Delhi zoo director, Sanjeet Kumar, said, 'The elephant was not in musth. The contractual staff slipped and came in contact with the elephant's trunk . He has been sent to RML hospital for check-up and treatment. He has been working at the facility for six months now.' Another zoo official, however, said that the elephant might have been in a pre-musth state.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
After litter of Asiatic lion cubs, Delhi zoo welcomes another birth — hippopotamus calf
For the first time in two years, a female hippopotamus calf was born at the National Zoological Park, also known as Delhi Zoo, on Monday. The calf was born to a nine-year-old female hippopotamus after a gestation period of approximately nine months and five days, said zoo officials. 'This is the third litter for the female. The last birth occurred in 2023,' Zoo Director Dr Sanjeet Kumar said. With this addition, the zoo now houses seven hippopotamuses – three adult males, two male calves, one adult female, and the newborn. Following the birth, the mother and calf have been moved to a separate pool, away from the rest of the group. 'As a precautionary measure, the mother and calf have been separated from the herd. They are being monitored through CCTV surveillance,' said Dr Kumar. Zoo officials said the mother is nursing the calf and exhibiting a safe post-birth behaviour. Staffers have been deployed at the enclosure, and CCTV surveillance is being used for continuous observation, said Kumar. 'Taking due precautions, distance is being maintained to ensure that the animals are not disturbed,' he added. Earlier this year, four Asiatic lion cubs were born at the zoo. At present, a male and a female cub have survived and are being hand-raised, said officials. The zoo has also increased its safety measures amid a bird flu scare at a zoo in nearby Uttar Pradesh. Last week, the Delhi Zoo had issued an internal advisory directing staff to enforce 'strictest biosecurity measures' as part of emergency preparedness after H5 avian influenza or bird flu was recently confirmed in a tigress that died at the Gorakhpur Zoo in Uttar Pradesh. The scare comes amid the summer holidays when the footfall is usually high. The internal memorandum was issued last Thursday by Dr Kumar: 'In view of the recent incidence of avian influenza (H5) at Gorakhpur Zoo, UP all preventive measures for preparedness and surveillance of the avian influenza have to be carried out in order to keep the zoo animals, visitors and its staff safe and healthy,' the advisory stated. A senior zoo official had stated, 'We are watching closely, and if any signs are observed, we will act accordingly. But for now, all is okay and the zoo is not being closed.'
Time of India
29-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Lion cub dies in Delhi zoo a day after birth, another cub unstable
New Delhi: A lion cub born on April 27 died at Delhi Zoo, officials said on Tuesday. A five-year-old Asiatic lioness, Mahagauri, gave birth to a litter of four on Sunday, of which one cub died on Monday. Officials said that the cub, which was being reared by the mother, was underdeveloped. Another cub was found to be in poor health and underdeveloped and was shifted to the zoo hospital, where it is being hand-reared, the zoo director said. "Out of the four cubs, one which was born last died as it was underdeveloped. On April 28, in the evening, another cub was found unstable and immediately shifted to the zoo hospital for hand-rearing. The cub is responding well as of now. The other two cubs are with the lioness and are also doing well as of now. Constant CCTV monitoring of the lioness and two cubs is being done," Sanjeet Kumar, the zoo director, said. The lion and lioness who became parents were brought to the zoo in 2021 from Junagarh. Sunday was the first time the lioness delivered a baby. Officials then pointed out that the first 24 hours were crucial and the mother was taking care of the cubs. The last time successful lion breeding happened at the zoo was in May 2009 — two cubs were born then. Among the recent big cat births in the zoo, two royal Bengal tiger cubs were born in May 2023 to tigress Siddhi. Of the litter was five, three were stillborn. In Aug 2022, three white tiger cubs were born at the zoo, of which one died four months later. In March, a female dhole (wild dog) died at the zoo. The animal was undergoing treatment. In Feb, three animals died — a 15-year-old female leopard named Babli (due to old age-related complications), a 22-year-old jaguar (old age), and a 15-year-old nilgai.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Four lion cubs born at Delhi Zoo
The Delhi Zoo on Sunday celebrated the birth of four lion cubs — first successful breeding case of the species at the zoo since 2009. The cubs will remain under the mother's care for the next few days and will be monitored via CCTV, zoo officials said. 'Early morning on Sunday, the five-year-old Asiatic lioness Mahagauri delivered four cubs. She and the cubs are under round-the-clock CCTV monitoring and the next 24 hours are critical as she has delivered for the first time,' Sanjeet Kumar, director of the zoo, said. The breeding was carried out between Mahagauri and five-year-old lion Maheshwar. The pair was brought to the Delhi Zoo in 2021 from Gujarat's Junagadh, he said. 'The last time we had successful breeding of lions was in May 2009. Back then, the litter was of two cubs,' Kumar said, stating the cubs will be shifted to a veterinary hospital for checks after some days. 'This movement of the cubs away from the mother will depend on the behaviour of the lioness,' the director added. Officials said the birth is seen as a ray of hope at the zoo after the recent frequent animal deaths witnessed here. Earlier this month, a Thamin deer, a Gaur calf and an Albino blackbuck died at the zoo. In March, a female dhole (wild dog) died at the zoo while undergoing treatment. In February, a 15-year-old female leopard named Babli (old age-related complications), a 22-year-old jaguar (old-age) and a 15-year-old nilgai too passed away. Further, HT had reported last week about a zookeeper at the Delhi zoo who was mauled by a leopard while attempting to transfer the animal from its cage to a public enclosure. The incident occurred amid staff shortages and misallocation, wherein the zookeeper was the only experience person in handling herbivores. Among recent births in the Delhi Zoo, two Royal Bengal tiger cubs were born in May 2023 to tigress Siddhi. While the litter was of five cubs, three were stillborn and two survived. In August 2022, three white tiger cubs were also born at the zoo, from which one died four months later. The Delhi Zoo, established in November 1959, presently houses 95 species of animals and birds. The zoo is also is set to see its total species count increase to 96 species, with two smooth-coated otters – a new species set to arrive in the coming weeks as part of animal exchange with the Surat Zoo, officials have said.
