Shortage Of Anti-Venom Vials Killed Nandankanan Lioness In Odisha? AWTE Lodges FIR Against Zoo

Bhubaneswar: The Animal Welfare Trust Ekamra (AWTE) has accused the authorities of Nandankanan Zoo on the outskirts of Odisha’s capital of negligence and lodged an FIR following the death of an African lioness due to snakebite on Saturday.

The AWTE, in its complaint, alleged that unavailability of adequate amount of anti-snake venom (ASV) vials resulted in the delay in the treatment of the lioness. “According to government and WHO protocol, 10 ASV vials need to be administered within an hour of snakebite. But according to zoo officials, only three vials were administered (that happened either due to lack of stock of ASV or lack of knowledge of zoo veterinarians). In either case, sheer negligence killed the lioness,” AWTE founder Purabi Patra alleged.

Purbi further alleged that zoo officials tried to procure ASV vials from KIIMS through a forest guard and urged that the used vials and available stock at the zoo should be inspected during the inquiry.

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Besides, the AWTE said the post-mortem should not be conducted by veterinarians of Nandankanan zoo or the Centre for Wildlife Health, which is funded by Nandankanan, at OUAT as there could be a conflict of interest.

The post-mortem should be done by an impartial team, which should include forensic medicine and toxicology experts from AIIMS Bhubaneswar, it said.

On Saturday, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Khurda Subhendu Mallick said the venom of Common Krait, which reportedly bit the lioness, is neurotoxic and Government of India and WHO protocols clearly state that the first dose of 10 vials should be administered to the victim in an hour.

“The zoo did not have adequate stock of ASV. This is a violation of the Central Zoo Authority guidelines. When the condition of the lioness deteriorated, forest guard Ramachandra Kandi was sent to a nearby private hospital to purchase more vials of ASV. This is a very serious matter. Had the ASV stock been there, the life of the animal could have been saved,” he said.