Karnataka Zoo Authority chairperson visits Tyavarekoppa Safari in Shivamogga following hippopotamus attack on trainee vet officer

Karnataka Zoo Authority chairperson K. Rangaswamy on Saturday visited Tyavarekoppa Tiger and Lion Safari Shivamogga in the wake of the death of a 27-year-old trainee veterinary officer who was attacked by a hippopotamus on March 20.

The chairperson visited the enclosure where the incident occurred and gathered information from the executive director of the zoo and other officers.

Speaking to the media on the occasion, the chairman said the death of Sameeksha Reddy, a trainee veterinary officer, was an unfortunate incident. He was pained by the death of the young officer, who loved wild animals and had a passion to treat them.

“As of now the police and the senior officials of the Forest Department are probing the incident. The authority and the department will take proper action based on the investigation report. If anybody’s negligence had led to the incident, the official concerned will face action,” he said.

The chairperson said that the police had seized the CCTV cameras and footage. “As per the information I gathered, the trainee officer got down into the enclosure with the help of a ladder along with other staff. However, when the wild animal got enraged, another staff member succeeded in climbing up the ladder and getting out. However, when the trainee officer tried to come out, she tripped and fell back into the enclosure,” he said.

Mr. Ranganath said the inquiry would find out why the veterinary officer visited the hippopotamus enclosure at that hour. “It is not clear if she had any instructions from other officers to visit the enclosure. The officers have been instructed to submit a report within seven days. The probe will bring out all these details,” he added.