Hyena found dead at Delhi zoo; cause unknown

An 11-year-old hyena died at Delhi Zoo; a post-mortem will determine the cause. The zoo now has only two hyenas left amid ongoing bird flu concerns.

New Delhi: An 11-year-old female hyena died at the Delhi Zoo on Thursday under “mysterious” circumstances, zoo officials said, stating a post-mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the actual cause of death. The zoo is now left with only two hyenas, a male and a female.

The hyena did not come out for three to four days and eventually, flies and a foul smell led to the keepers discovering it was dead inside its den, any official said requesting anonymity. (HT Archive)

The hyena was found lying in its den -- within the enclosure. The body was retrieved and sent to the zoo hospital, where it was discovered that she had already died. Typically, hyenas stay inside dens created in the enclosure area, but they feed on the backside of the enclosure -- where zoo staff serves food to them.

Delhi zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said the cause of death is still unknown. “The hyena, which was 11 years old, was found dead on Wednesday morning in its enclosure. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death. We now have two hyenas left,” Kumar said.

A second zoo official, alleged mismanagement. “While hyenas are left in the den, a tab is kept on them at night - when food is kept to invite them out. In this case, the hyena did not come out for three to four days and eventually, flies and a foul smell led to the keepers discovering it was dead inside its den,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.

Kumar did not comment on the allegation.

The Delhi zoo has been shut since August 30 following multiple bird deaths due to avian influenza (bird flu). However, no positive samples have been reported since September 2 onwards.

The zoo, on October 12 had announced that despite no birds testing positive for bird flu in the last one month, it would still collect more samples, with the zoo not opening before October 30.

To be sure, this is the third closure of the Delhi zoo due to avian influenza in recent years — previous shutdowns were recorded in 2016 and 2021.

Established in 1959, the zoo houses 96 different species of animals, birds, and reptiles and is spread across an area of 176 acres.