Keeper dies of snakebite at Thiruvananthapuram zoo
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A forty five-year-old animal keeper at the Thiruvananthapuram zoo died on Thursday afternoon following a snakebite.
The deceased, A. Harshad, is believed to have been bitten by a king cobra whereas cleansing a shift cage within the reptile home.
Harshad was engaged in cleansing the king cobra enclosure. He cleaned the principle enclosure after shifting the snake to the shift cage. The reptile is meant to be transferred again to the principle closure earlier than cleansing the shift cage. But it’s thought that Harshad tried to scrub it with the snake inside, mentioned zoo Director S. Abu.
In the CCTV digital camera visuals, Harshad is seen stepping out of the enclosure at 12.17 p.m. The break for keepers start at 12 midday and apparently he continued to work even through the break. Only the principle enclosures are coated by CCTV.
Another keeper discovered Harshad prostrate on the bottom round 1.30 p.m. Though he was acutely aware, he couldn’t communicate. But he pointed to the shift cage.
Though he was rushed to the Medical College Hospital, he was declared introduced useless, the zoo authorities mentioned.
Locked the cage
A lock discovered on the shift cage hinted that he had tried to free his arm from the snake and managed to slip a lock in on the door to make sure that the snake remained inside, they mentioned. The king cobra was among the many three introduced from the Pilikula zoo in March this yr.
The zoo has restricted workers on obligation owing to COVID-19, the officers mentioned.
Dedicated keeper
Harshad was one of the most effective keepers at the zoo, devoted, environment friendly and educated, with heaps of expertise. He had even attended a Central Zoo Authority coaching for keepers just lately, officers mentioned.
He had been within the information just a few years in the past when he entered a snake enclosure in protest in opposition to the delay in making staff everlasting.
Harshad, who hailed from Kattakada, is survived by his spouse and baby.
Another keeper at the zoo was gored to loss of life by a rhino over a decade and a half in the past.
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