Ranchi's Birsa zoo caretaker succumbs to injury after attack by hippopotamus

A caretaker of Ranchi's Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park on Sunday, 28 July, succumbed to his injuries suffered during an attack by a hippopotamus, a zoo official said.

The deceased, identified as Santosh Kumar Mahto (54), had entered the enclosure of the hippopotamus on Friday, allegedly to shift a newborn calf.

The mother hippopotamus attacked Mahto and injured him critically, the official said.

"Unfortunately, the caretaker succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning at a private hospital here," the director of the zoo, Jabbar Singh, told PTI.

Singh said an investigation into the incident has been initiated.

Asked about compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, he said that the zoo authority would send a proposal to the state government to provide an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh as Mahto was on duty on Friday.

In addition, the deceased will also get Rs 4 lakh compensation as per the norms due to death by wild animal attack.

"The zoo authority took care of the hospital cost. We will also try to get a job for a member of his family," he said.

Meanwhile, caretakers of the zoo shut down its main gate in protest against the zoo authority.

Around 112 caretakers, including casual and permanent, are employed in the zoo.