Experts to check on anacondas’ health

Experts from Veterinary College in Hassan, India will arrive at the Mysore Zoo later this week to diagnose the green anacondas.

The four green anacondas-two males and two females-are doing fine and are kept under observation. They are normal and doing fine, said zoo authorities on Sunday, a day after a female green anaconda died due to heart failure. The zoo has contacted Dr Vasanth Shetty, dean of the veterinary college, who is a member of the zoo health committee, to conduct ultra-sonographic examination.

The authorities believe that there is nothing abnormal about the four surviving anacondas given that they are active and their food intake is normal.

Dr Suresh Kumar, the veterinarian attached to the zoo told The Times of India that the anaconda that died was a weakling when it arrived. While the other four anacondas have gained a minimum of 40 grams since their arrival from Sri Lanka in November-end, the one that died actually lost weight. “We contacted reptile experts and Sri Lanka zoo authorities while we focused on it. But it died due to heart failure owing to traumatic injury to heart during blood collection. Experts suggested that it is very rare,” he stated.

It is routine to draw blood when the animals are shipped. Otherwise they will not be allowed to be transported. Normally blood is drawn from veins but for reptiles it is difficult to be locate veins and hence it is drawn from the heart, he explained.

Courtesy: Times of India