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Hyderabad: An eight-year-old African female lion named Sirisha briefly escaped from her enclosure at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad on Monday morning, injuring a caretaker before being safely recaptured.
Sirisha, who suffers from hind limb paralysis, was being kept in the off-display Summer House area for treatment. The escape happened when Syed Hussain, an assistant animal keeper, was cleaning the night houses and failed to properly secure the door between enclosures.
Zoo authorities reported that the main gates were closed as per Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). However, the veterinary team was on-site conducting health check-ups at the time of the incident. The supporting staff quickly alerted higher authorities upon discovering the escape.
The zoo’s response team acted swiftly, tranquillizing Sirisha within 10 minutes of the alarm. The lion was found near the crocodile moat and safely returned to her night house within 20 minutes.
During the escape, Sirisha injured Syed Hussain, who was immediately taken to Osmania General Hospital for treatment and was discharged after receiving care.
The enquiry committee of the Zoo found that Syed Hussain had shown carelessness in implementing safety measures and was irresponsible in monitoring the wild animals while closing the gates.
Previously, there have been similar incidents where a few animals escaped from their enclosures. The management is working on improving monitoring and functioning to reduce such incidents, added zoo authorities.
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