Hyderabad: 20-year-old Giraffe ‘Tsunami Basant’ dies at Nehru Zoo Park 

Basant was born during the Tsunami calamity in the year 2004 in National Zoological Park, New Delhi, and was brought to Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad as part of animal exchange programme in 2009.

Hyderabad: Tsunami Basant, a 20 year-old male Giraffe, has died due to old age complications at the Nehru Zoological Park, late on Monday night.

According to the zoo officials, Basant was born during the Tsunami calamity in the year 2004 in National Zoological Park, New Delhi, and was brought to Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad as part of animal exchange programme in 2009.

---

Basant was suffering with arthritis in the hind legs since last two years and was being treated under the guidance of the Zoo Deputy Director (Vet), Dr. M.A.Hakeem. A post-mortem was conducted to ascertain the cause of death with the veterinary experts from VBRI, Veterinary College, Rajendranagar, CCMB LaCONES etc. All samples were collected and sent to VBRI for further examination, the zoo said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Zoo curator, Dr. Sunil S. Hiremath, and staff members offered floral tributes and observed two minutes silence at the enclosure. Following the death of Basant, The zoo presently has only one male Giraffe, Sunny.