Lion and Tiger Safari at Tyavarekoppa in Shivamogga. File | Photo credit: SK Dinesh
Death of practicing veterinary officer Dr. Sameeksha Reddy’s hippo attack at Tyavarekoppa Tiger and Lion Safari in Shivanogga has raised many questions about the safety of veterinarians involved in the treatment of wild animals. She joined the training on February 1.
Family members who visited Shivamogga questioned why the zoo officers allowed the trainee officer into the hippo enclosure on Thursday (March 19, 2026) night in the absence of the seniors.
After the incident, the Shivamogga police registered an unnatural death report. Mrs. Reddy was to continue treating the sunconure, a South American bird. As part of the treatment scheme, the vasa had to administer an antibiotic twice a day, 12 hours apart.
According to Dr Murali Manohar, the zoo’s veterinarian, Ms Reddy was at the safari late on Thursday night to administer antibiotics to the bird.
“She volunteered to treat the bird. She was not assigned to monitor the health of the hippo,” he said.
The hippo was eight months pregnant and had stopped eating for the last four to five days. “It was quite normal with the hippopotamus. I explained its nature to the trainees. But I didn’t ask her to treat the animal.”
The trainee officer was attacked when she went to record the body temperature of the animal using a thermal camera,” he said.
Mr. Murali Manohar said that he resigned as Veterinary Officer in November 2025 due to personal reasons and continued with the duty of training new apprentices.
VM Amarakshara, managing director of the zoo, also does not know who asked the trainee to enter the hippo enclosure. “The pregnant wild animal did not move from the pond for several days. Perhaps the veterinarian-trainer entered the enclosure thinking that the animal might not come out of the water body,” he said.
However, it is not clear who asked her to record the animal’s temperature at night. “We need to check what instructions she received from the vet. That would be part of the further investigation,” the officer said.
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has ordered an inquiry into the death of the trainee, a native of Bengaluru.
Published – 21 March 2026 14:58 IST
