25-year-old Zebra taken off, to rest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seetha, a 25-year-old Zebra who is suffering from old age has been removed from the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo. She is finding it difficult to get up and chew and now a keeper has been put in for her service round the clock. Seetha arrived as a 10-year-old in 2002 from Arignar Anna Zoological Park which is also known as Vandalur Zoo in Chennai.

Senior veterinary surgeon Dr Jacob Alexander told this newspaper that she has been relocated to another side of the enclosure where sand was dumped in the corner so that she can lie down and get up with ease. “Few days back Seetha fell down on her knees and it got hurt. So we decided to put a sand bed for her so that her knees will not get further hurt,” said Dr Jacob Alexander.

Currently, apart from the daytime keeper, Rajendran, two more additional night keepers along with the regular two night keepers were pressed into service to take care of the ailing Seetha. The usual lifespan of a zebra in the wild is between 20 to 25 years and if it is in captive it will go up to sometimes 25 to 30 years. Seetha is the only zebra in the city zoo. Usually. the Army euthanises the zebra once old age sets in.