In a tragic turn of events, a trainee safari veterinarian has died after being attacked by a pregnant hippo. As reported by People, the incident happened in a safari in southern India.
Dr. Sameeksha Reddy was using a thermal scanner to monitor a pregnant hippo's temperature. It's a pretty common procedure, something that's also done for humans. But it went horribly wrong after the hippo lashed out and viciously attacked her. The tragic incident happened at the Tiger and Lion Safari in Shivamogga, Karnataka province.
The incident is especially tragic as Dr. Reddy had only been working at the safari for a month. She started on February 1, and was originally there to look at a rare type of bird.
Dr. Murali Manohar, the overseer of trainees at the safari, explained the incident. She said that Dr. Reddy was there to give antibiotics to the rare birds every 12 hours, and that she wasn't there to treat the hippo.
Dr. Manohar explained that the hippo had stopped eating for a few days, which had concerned Dr. Reddy. But, "this was quite normal for a hippopotamous," Dr. Manohar explained. "I had explained to the trainees about its nature. However, I had not asked her to treat the animal."
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The Safari Execs Aren't 100% Sure How Things Happened
V.M Amarakshara, the executive director of the organization overseeing the safari, explained that not all the details are known right now. He said that he didn't know whether anyone had asked Dr. Reddy to enter the hippo's enclosure.
"The pregnant wild animal had not moved out of the pond for a couple of days. Maybe the trainee veterinarian entered the enclosure, believing that the animal might not come out of the water body," he said.
The tragic accident apparently happened after the ladder she was standing on to measure the hippo's temperature fell. This happened because the animal shook the ladder, meaning she fell into the pond from a height.
This is an absolutely tragic and unexpected accident. May the poor veterinarian rest in peace.
