Pregnant sloth bear dies in zoo park in Visakhapatnam

A 12-year-old pregnant sloth bear died of ill-health at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) on Saturday.

IGZP Curator G. Mangamma said that over the past few days, the animal that was five months pregnant, had stopped taking porridge, but was consuming fruits, dates and bread. “The animal also exhibited some vaginal discharges and showed symptoms suggestive of abortion four days back. The cause of death was due to septicemic shock resulting from a mummified foetus inside the uterus. Despite timely medical attention and continuous monitoring by the veterinary staff, the animal could not be revived,” Ms. Mangamma said.

A post-mortem examination was conducted by the zoo veterinarian and the findings confirmed Septicaemia due to complications related to the mummified foetus, she said, adding that they were committed to providing highest standards of veterinary care and monitoring for all its animal inhabitants.