Shivamogga: A 27-year-old veterinarian died on Friday after being attacked by a hippopotamus at the Tyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari in Karnataka’s Shivamogga late on Thursday.
The veterinarian, identified as Samiksha Reddy was performing a thermal scanning procedure to monitor the body temperature of a pregnant hippo around 11.30 pm on Thursday when the incident occurred, officials said.
The animal unexpectedly charged and lunged at her immediately after the scanning process was completed, inflicting catastrophic injuries, it was reported.
Authorities said that Samiksha was rushed to a private hospital in Shivamogga in a critical condition. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, she succumbed to her injuries on Friday morning, News18 reported.
Doctors attending to her said that she had suffered severe internal trauma to her abdomen and significant blood loss, which ultimately led to her passing.
The hippo involved in the attack had been relocated to the Shivamogga safari from the Mysuru Zoo about four years ago and was under close observation due to its pregnancy.
Samiksha was a resident of Sakalavara near Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta. The only daughter of businessman Dhruva Kumar and Shailaja, she completed her veterinary degrees in both Bengaluru and Shivamogga before being selected for specialized wildlife training in February. Those who knew her called Samiksha a dedicated professional.
She had been attached to the safari for about six weeks and her sudden death has left the local medical fraternity in deep shock.
Her grieving parents who reached Shivamogga to collect her remains were also in a state of shock. Authorities are trying to find out if all safety protocols were followed when the medical examination was underway.
The forest department of Karnataka has also issued a high-level mandate, enforcing strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all zoo veterinarians during wildlife treatments.
Forest minister Eshwar Khandre has ordered the formation of a specialised task force, comprising forest officials and senior veterinarians, to investigate the circumstances that led to the attack.
This task force will submit a comprehensive report within seven days to identify any lapses in safety protocols that occurred during the late-night medical examination.
