(COLOMBO) – The sudden and unexplained death of the lone male zebra at a zoo in Sri Lanka has sparked off protests prompting the subject Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi to order an impartial inquiry on the true circumstances surrounding the animal’s demise.
Initial investigations have revealed that the zebra died while being transported in poor condition from a safari park in Ridiyagama-Kurunegala some 125 kilometres away from the commercial capital of Colombo to the zoological gardens at Dehiwala.
The zebra had been removed to the safari park some four days ago for breeding purposes, officials at the Zoological Gardens in Dehiwala said.
The zebra entered the county from China through an animal exchange program some six years ago.
The employees at the Dehiwala Zoo claimed that the zebra died due to overdosing of some medicines given to it while the animal was being transported. The employees also staged a protest at demanding an impartial inquiry over the sudden death of the zebra.
Meanwhile, the Dehiwala Zoological Director, General Ranjan Marasinghe, said that he had requested the Wildlife and Forest Conservation Ministry to appoint an independent investigation to inquire into the sudden death of the animal.
Moreover, an environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella said that according to available information the zebra was killed.
Ranwella said that the box used to transport the zebra was not suitable and that officials at the Ridiyagama Safari Park did not follow proper procedures that should be used when transporting such an animal.
The skin of the animal was damaged in certain areas, and several wounds were seen on its body after it was brought to the Dehiwala Zoo which indicated utter negligence on the part of the handlers, Ranwella said.
