The hippo had contracted autoimmune, a rare form of disease, that causes lesions on skin leading to damage of the tissue, said Dr B C Chittiappa, a veterinarian with the BBP.
“Our attempts to treat the hippo failed, as the medicine that was applied on its lesions got washed away every time it got into the water,” he added.
The visceral samples of the animal have been sent to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAH &VB) for clinical examination, said R Raju, Executive Director of BBP.
Animals operated on
Recently, the BBP performed surgeries on animals from the rescue centre, mainly lionesses, as they were known to suffer from pyometra, an infection in the uterus.
“The best way to deal with pyometra, is to surgically remove the uterus of animals, thereby, preventing complications in the future,” said Dr Chittiappa.
A team of doctors from Veterinary College conducted surgery on six animals, now under post-operative care and recuperating well. Animals from the rescue centre are those that are well into their ripe old age and under treatment for a host of illnesses at the BBP.