Tyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari at Shivamogga. File | Photo credit: SK Dinesh
A 27-year-old vet-in-training has died after sustaining serious injuries following a hippo attack at the Tyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari in Shivamogga.
Dr. Sameeksha Reddy, a native of Bengaluru, was recently hired as a trainee vet at the safari. She was tasked with monitoring the health of two sick birds. On Thursday (March 19, 2026), she was at the veterinary hospital around 10:30 p.m.
Later, she decided to check the body temperature of the pregnant hippo. While she was checking her temperature using non-invasive infrared thermography, the animal suddenly attacked her.
Dr. Sameeksha Reddy, who was undergoing training as a veterinary officer. Photo credits: Special arrangements
The safari staff shifted her to a private hospital in Shivamogga. According to official sources, she suffered deep injuries, excessive bleeding and liver damage, leading to cardiac arrest. She succumbed to her injuries on Friday (March 20, 2026) around 6:30 a.m.
According to officials, she was undergoing training as a veterinary officer and had an additional 45 days of training available.
Mourning the death of the veterinary officer, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre directed officials to ensure strict adherence to standard operating procedures to avoid such incidents.
He also asked the police to form a team of officials to investigate the incident and submit a report.
Published – 20 March 2026 10:34 IST
