Times of India, India
Oct 24 2004
Another elephant dies at Mysore Zoo
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2004 02:35:11 AM ]
MYSORE: Six weeks after the death of three animals in Mysore Zoo that
kicked up a storm, an eightyear-old female elephant was found dead on
Friday. The elephant, which was to have been India’s goodwill
ambassador to Armenia, is suspected to have been poisoned, much like
the other three.
The death of the elephant, Komala, comes as a shocker especially
since it had been provided round-the-clock security just to ward off
mischievous elements. Sources said the elephant refused food on
Thursday night. The next morning, she collapsed all of a sudden and
died. A post-mortem was conducted in the evening. Speaking to the
Sunday Times of India, Zoo executive director Manoj Kumar suspected
foul play. “It could have died due to the same reason as the other
two jumbos.” The hint is at poisoning.
Laboratory tests conducted on the elephants, Ganesha and Roopa, which
died in September, confirmed poisoning and the needle of suspicion
was pointed towards animal keepers. Came close on its heels was the
death of Lingam, an endangered lion-tailed macaque. All these three
deaths occurred within the space of a week and days after the
incumbent assumed office.
Sources expressed shock how Komala could have been poisoned despite
it being provided security, which indicates a telling lapse on the
part of those manning the cage. A complaint in this regard has been
lodged.
Following a request by the Central Zoo Authority to locate a female
elephant to partner a tusker in a zoo in the Armenian capital of
Yerevan, Mysore Zoo zeroed in on Komala that was born here. This
followed a direction from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who wanted
to gift a female elephant to Armenia as a goodwill gesture.
After a visit by officials of the CZA and Armenian embassy, Komala
was separated from her parents and accorded a special treatment. She
was to have left for Armenia by month-end. But that union and journey
were not to be.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress