Female wolf dies at Delhi Zoo after sustaining hind limb injury

A female wolf brought from Patna Zoo under an exchange animal programme has died at Delhi’s National Zoological Park, raising questions over the adherence to quarantine protocols, sources said.

The wolf that allegedly sustained a hind limb fracture during the transfer was under veterinary observation, and she died on Thursday, the source told PTI.

According to the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority, quarantine is an essential part of the animal exchange process, requiring monitoring the health, stress, and adaptation of newly arrived animals, the source said.

Questions have been raised about whether standard quarantine protocols were followed in this case. Four wolves were brought from Patna Zoo to Delhi Zoo as part of an exchange programme, he said.

No immediate response was available from zoo authorities.

The Delhi Zoo has faced multiple animal deaths in recent months. In January, four chousinghas (four-horned antelopes) died, and later IVRI toxicology reports detected traces of phosphine in their samples.

Around the same period, a jackal died after entering a Himalayan black bear enclosure, while a female Sangai deer and a female antelope also died. A male Sangai deer also died later and was under treatment for a hind limb injury.

In February, a 15-year-old nilgai and a 22-year-old jaguar died due to age-related complications, according to zoo authorities.

In March, a two-year-old white tigress named Durga suffered a hind limb fracture while being prepared for transfer to Patna Zoo.