(IN): Rhino dies: Anthrax outbreak suspected in Assam State Zoo

[Guest guest]

*Guwahati: Tuesday, January 22, 2008*

 

John, the 30 year old male Rhinoceros suddenly collapsed and died in its

enclosure this morning at the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati.

Preliminary observations to the unnatural cause of death is pointing towards

the possibility of an anthrax outbreak.

Meanwhile investigations are on and will take at least 72 hours to ascertain

the actual cause of death.

 

The Zoo authorities have sounded an alert and have asked the District

authorities, the department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry to help out

with the vaccination of the zoo inmates and the cattle in the adjoining

localities of the Zoo.

The big mammals in the zoo would be immediately vaccinated for anthrax, I

was told by the Zoo Divisional Forest officer, Mr. Narayan Mahanta.

Mh. Mahanta addressed a meeting attended by the state Forest Minister Mr.

Rockybul Hussain and other top officials of the Forest department and

veterinarians at the Zoo.

 

Meahwhile the rhino carcass was buried in a 20feet deep pit in the presence

of the media inside the Rhino enclosure.

As a precautionary measure no postmortem was carried out.

The site where the rhino collapsed shall be disinfected with using fire and

chemicals tomorrow.

 

Till date no outbreak of anthrax has been reported from the Assam State Zoo

although in 1990 a fallow deer died of similar symptoms.

If anthrax is confirmed then the Zoo authorities believe that it is a threat

to all the zoo inmates and the cattle in the adjoining area.

 

Azam Siddiqui

 

 

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com