Scientists to investigate giraffe’s death

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday indicated that contaminated water could be the reason for the death of a giraffe in a Delhi zoo.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday indicated that contaminated water could be the reason for the death of a giraffe in a Delhi zoo.

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"We cannot rule out the contamination of water as the possible source of the giraffe's death," Ramesh said after a review meeting at the National Zoological Park, a day after the 15 year-old female giraffe, Anitha, died of severe diarrhoea.

Top officials of central public works department (CPWD), Delhi Jal Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the central zoo attended the meeting. "Water is very dirty. It is contaminated," the minister told reporters.

Sources said senior scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India will visit zoo on Friday to investigate the cause of giraffe's death.