Rhino Shiva loses fight to cancer, dies in Delhi zoo

The postmortem report revealed that cancer was the cause of death; the cancer had spread from his horn to the brain,” said zoo official.

Byculla zoo authorities have sought a detailed report on the cause of death . (Source: Express archive)

Cancer, which progressed to his brain from the horn, killed Mumbai’s lone rhinoceros Shiva at the Delhi zoo Tuesday night, leaving his former caretakers at Byculla zoo “in shock”.

The news of Shiva’s death reached the caretakers and zoo authorities in Mumbai on Thursday morning, prompting a quick exchange of phone calls between them and their counterparts in Delhi. According to Sanjay Tripathi, deputy superintendent of zoo, Shiva (39) passed away on Tuesday, but the news was discovered only on Wednesday morning. “Shiva was found dead in his feed-house. The postmortem report revealed that cancer was the cause of death; the cancer had spread from his horn to the brain,” he said.

Having been kept in the dark about Shiva’s death, the Byculla zoo authorities have sought a detailed report on the cause of death. Shiva has been buried in the Delhi zoo .At the Byculla zoo, his former caretakers are distraught. “We did not think the cancer would get the better of him so quickly,” said Ravindra Nivade, Shiva’s caretaker in Mumbai.

“We took care of him for 25 years, his death still hasn’t sunk in.”

Ramesh and Ravindra take care of hippos, a male Deva and females Khushi and Shilpa, all born at the zoo, who now occupy Shiva’s former enclosure at the Byculla zoo.

Shiva, who was shifted to the Delhi zoo last year had not been able to find a suitable mate in Delhi’s Mageshwari (18) and Anjuka (8) rhinos till last month. Dr Panneer Selvam,veterinary officer at National Zoological Park (NZP), Delhi, had said that old age and cancer on his injured horn may prevent him from mating. Shiva suffered the injury at the hands of poachers.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

First uploaded on: 20-06-2014 at 01:12 IST

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