A 20-year-old giraffe named Tsunami Basant died on Monday night at Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park. Zoo officials said Basant passed away due to complications related to old age.
For the last two years, Basant had been suffering from arthritis in his hind legs and was receiving treatment. Tsunami Basant was born in 2004 during the tsunami disaster at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi. In 2009, he was brought to Hyderabad as part of an animal exchange program between the zoos. The animal was under the care of Dr. M A Hakeem, deputy director (veterinary) at Nehru Zoological Park.
After Basant’s death, the zoo is now left with only one male giraffe, named Sunny.
A postmortem has been conducted to determine the exact cause of Basant’s death. Veterinary experts from VBRI, Veterinary College in Rajendranagar, and CCMB Lacones are involved in the investigation. Samples have been sent to VBRI for further examination.
Dr. Sunil S Hiremath, the director and curator of the zoo, along with the zoo staff, paid their respects by offering floral tributes and observing a two-minute silence near the giraffe’s enclosure.
Dr. Hiremath mentioned that Basant was one of the zoo’s main attractions, drawing in many visitors with his graceful walk. He said that the zoo has lost an important animal from its collection.
