Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘Macaque died of heart attack’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The post mortem conducted on the male lion-tailed macaque that was transported to the Vandalloor zoo in May this year has concluded that the primate died of a heart attack soon after it reached the zoo near Chennai.

The primate was brought to the city zoo from Vandalloor on December 28, 2003 as ‘breeding loan.’ Recently the Vandalloor zoo had asked for the return of the lion-tailed macaque as it wanted to further its own breeding programme.

According to the zoo director Elcy George the post mortem report says that death was due to “severe myocardial infarction.” “The report has been signed ‘for director’ so I have sent it back and have asked the report to be signed by the director of the Vandalloor zoo,” Ms. George said.

According to the post mortem report accessed by The Hindu the animal died at 8.30 a.m. on May 21 and was seen dead inside the crate in which it was transported to Vandalloor.

“The lesions in the heart and lungs are suggestive that the cause of death is due to severe myocardial infarction (heart attack),” the post mortem report reads. The carcass was subsequently buried inside the zoo premises, the report adds.

The director of the Vandalloor zoo T. L. Anandaswamy told The Hindu from Bangalore that the post mortem did not reveal the presence of any drugs that might have led to the death of the macaque.

“My veterinary officer told me that the blocks in the heart muscles were clearly visible during the post mortem. I have not heard of anything that might have led to an unnatural death of the animal,” he explained.

The culture minister M. A. Baby had asked the zoo authorities for a detailed report.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Railways to take ticket counters nearer homes
Meet to ease traffic congestion
Doctors promoted
New train timings from tomorrow
Violation of norms failed insurance scheme
Marginal dip in B.Com. pass percentage
Micro-chips insisted for elephants
Police inspect prayer centre
Meet to end violence demanded
‘Macaque died of heart attack’
KSU to intensify stir
Rs.500-crore project for national games in State capital
NCC cadets learn the ropes of seamanship
Dharna tomorrow

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu