On Monday, a tragic incident unfolded at Lucknow Zoo as a hippopotamus, recently transferred from Kanpur Zoo, attacked and fatally injured a staff member who entered its enclosure for cleaning. This marks the second aggressive encounter involving the same hippopotamus within a short span at Lucknow Zoo.
The victim, identified as Suraj, was responsible for maintaining the hippopotamus enclosure. Tragically, during his routine cleaning task on Monday, the hippo launched an attack, resulting in Suraj's untimely demise. This unfortunate event follows a prior incident where the same hippopotamus had attacked another zoo employee, Raju, who is presently undergoing medical treatment.
The hippopotamus had been relocated from Kanpur Zoo just a few days before the fatal incident. According to accounts from zoo workers, the assailant hippo exhibited aggressive behavior not only towards Suraj but had previously harmed another Lucknow zoo employee, highlighting concerns about its adaptation to the new environment.
Suraj, a dedicated zoo employee with a service record of 12 years, leaves behind a grieving family, including his wife and two children. Hailing from Lucknow, his tragic death has cast a somber atmosphere over the zoo community, prompting a reassessment of safety protocols and considerations regarding the well-being of the animals and staff within the facility.
