(IN): Zoo not to give another giraffe

May 27, 2008

*Zoo not to give another giraffe*

A STAFF REPORTER

Alipore zoo will not give Nandankanan a replacement for Sundar, the

11-year-old giraffe that died while being transported to Orissa.

" We have decided not to give another giraffe to Nandankanan, not after

knowing that callousness led to Sundar's death, " forest minister Ananta Roy

said on Monday.

The minister said the team from Nandankanan did not adhere to basic safety

norms while transporting the giraffe to Orissa from Alipore zoo as part of

an exchange programme.

" The escorts were solely responsible for the animal's safe transit after it

was handed over to them. They did not adhere to basic safety norms, " he

said.

The first post-mortem report has revealed that a high-voltage electric shock

killed Sundar after he came in contact with an overhead wire.

" The report revealed burn injuries in one of its ears. Its neck apparently

came in contact with the wire. Such was the shock that Sundar sat down in an

awkward position and its left hip was dislocated in the process, " the

director of Alipore zoo, S. Chowdhury, said.

The 11-year-old giraffe's histopathology (study of tissues) report is

expected to confirm what the post-mortem report states.

The director of Nandankanan, A.K. Patnaik, said he was ready to institute an

inquiry into the accident.

" We have yet to receive the post-mortem report. We will order a probe if

there is any mention of negligence by the officials who were in charge of

transporting the animal. "

The accident occurred at Bagnan, a two-hour drive from the zoo, early on

Thursday. By the time Sundar was brought back to Alipore for treatment,

around 12 hours had been lost. Zoo officials said they could have saved the

giraffe had the escort team brought him back immediately after the accident.

United against elephant polo

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