Because the intact bird did not fit in the box, chennai: When an ostrich died at the Children’s Park, Guindy, on Wednesday after a week-long illness without veterinary care, a forest department official snapped its legs and stuffed the carcass in a cold storage. Because children’s Park does not have a regular veterinarian, both during its illness and after its death, the bird did not get the attention it deserved. The bird is now awaiting postmortem, which also requires a veterinarian.
Central Zoo Authority (CZA) guidelines require every zoo, whether small, medium or large, to conduct a postmortem when a bird, reptile or mammal dies. Samples are collected to confirm the cause of death and sent to the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation, the Vandalur Zoo or the Madras Veterinary College. The postmortem report must then be submitted to the CZA.
None of these steps was followed in the ostrich case. The park has been functioning without a veterinarian for over a month, leaving the cause of death undetermined and no report available for the CZA.