A 27-year-old trainee veterinarian has died after being attacked by a pregnant hippopotamus during a late-night inspection at a zoo in Karnataka, India, prompting an official inquiry into why she was in the enclosure alone.
Sameeksha Reddy was conducting checks on animals at the Tavarekoppa Lion and Safari Zoo in the Shivamogga district shortly before midnight on Thursday when the incident occurred. Armed with a thermal camera to assess the animal’s temperature, she entered the enclosure of a hippo named Hamsini — which was days away from giving birth and had been under close observation. The animal charged without warning and attacked her, leaving her with severe internal abdominal injuries and significant blood loss. She was rushed to a nearby private hospital but died on Friday morning.
A zoo official confirmed the sequence of events, saying Reddy had initially gone to inspect a sun parakeet before entering the hippo’s enclosure. “The animal suddenly attacked her. She suffered severe injuries and heavy blood loss, which left her unconscious,” the official said.
Questions have since been raised about the circumstances of the visit. The zoo’s veterinary officer Dr Murali Manohar said Reddy had been assigned to administer an antibiotic to a bird, not to monitor the hippopotamus. “She volunteered to treat the bird. She was not assigned to monitor the health of the hippopotamus,” he said. It remains unclear who, if anyone, directed her to record Hamsini’s temperature, and her family have questioned why she was permitted to enter the enclosure without a senior colleague present.
Hamsini had been transferred to the Shivamogga safari from Mysuru Zoo approximately four years ago and was expected to give birth within days of the attack.
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre offered his condolences to Reddy’s family and confirmed they would receive compensation. He also issued an instruction that all veterinarians working in zoos across the state must strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures when dealing with wild animals.
An inquiry comprising senior veterinarians and forest officials has been launched to establish the full circumstances of the incident and determine what procedural failures, if any, contributed to her death.
