Tragic Death of Giraffe Misti at Ranchi Zoo Raises Concerns About Animal Care

Ranchi: Misti, the female giraffe that died at the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park on September 4, had suffered injuries on its head and neck, officials said on Saturday.Though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed, the injuries may be the reason for the death of the six-year-old giraffe, the first to be brought to the city zoo in its history from West Bengal’s Alipore Zoo on August 7 under the Central Zoo Authority’s animal exchange programme.“On the night of its death, the giraffe collapsed in its enclosure. Upon receiving information, a zoo team visited the enclosure and detected the injuries on its head and neck. Whether the injuries led to its death can only be ascertained after the detailed autopsy report, likely to reach the zoo by Monday,” said zoo vet Om Prakash Sahu.The vet further said the preliminary autopsy report has revealed that the giraffe was pregnant, which was unknown to them during the time of translocation.“The dead giraffe was in its first trimester and had been under medication since August 15 for a pain in its leg,” Sahu added.The death of the animal belonging to the northern giraffe species, a threatened group, in less than a month of its translocation to the zoo, has sparked concerns over animal safety and care at the facility.An official of Alipore Zoo said, “Giraffes need adequate open space in their enclosures, facilitating free movement for them.

They are also likely to stay in bushy areas. But those facilities were not witnessed at the enclosure.”Ranchi zoo director Jabber Singh was not available for comments.Several deaths have been reported at the Ranchi zoo this year. In July, Shashank, a male lion, died due to a cancerous tumour in his stomach, the second death at the zoo within a span of two months.In May, a lioness, ‘Priyanka’, died of bacterial infections in her uterus.

Both the lions were brought from the Bannerghatta National Park, Karnataka, in 2014.“The reasons for the death of the animals are different in each case. While some died due to old age, others died due to incurable diseases. The zoo authority tries its best to provide a safer environment to around 1,600 animals kept at the zoo,” vet Sahu added.