The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo bid farewell to one of its oldest residents, 25-year-old Bhavani, a Himalayan bear, on Tuesday.
Having been under treatment at the zoo hospital for nearly a month, Bhavani succumbed to multi-organ failure due to senility late on Monday. It had been showing signs of uneasiness for about six months and finding it difficult to eat. The zoo authorities had been making efforts to feed the animal through syringes and tubes. Its usual diet included fruits such as watermelon, honey, and nuts. According to zoo superintendent T.V. Anil Kumar, Bhavani had been brought to the city zoo from the Bhiwani Zoo in Haryana at the age of eight. It led a solitary life for nearly 10 years at the zoo after the death of another Himalayan bear.
The post-mortem examination of the animal was conducted by Chief Disease Investigation Officer Swapna Susan Abraham and veterinarians from the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy. During a brief farewell accorded to the ‘veteran’ later, zoo director K. Gangadharan placed a wreath on the body. The mortal remains were consigned to flames and cremated on the zoo premises. Mr. Kumar said that longstanding efforts were on to procure a pair of Himalayan black bears from the Nagaland Zoo. The zoo officials have sought an extension of the sanction that had been issued by the Central Zoo Authority for the proposed transfer that will be made in exchange for a pair of Bengal tigers from Thiruvananthapuram.
Discussions were also on with Railways to book a sitting-cum-luggage room for transporting the animals. If all goes to plan, the Zoo could have two new members by the first week of November.
