Yadunandan was sent to B’luru from Mysuru Zoo in April last year to pair with ‘Gowri’

Bengaluru: Yadunandan, the three-and-a-half-year-old giraffe which was transported to Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) in Bengaluru amidst lockdown in April last year, has died yesterday.

It is learnt that as animal keepers and other staff at BBP were busy controlling huge crowd yesterday, Yadunandan is said to have sneaked into the treatment area near the kraal, where its neck got trapped between the two iron railings leading to asphyxiation. As horns of Yadunandan got locked between railings it could not withdraw its neck, it is said.

It may be recalled that Yadunandan, son of ‘Krishnaraja’ and ‘Bubbly’ of Mysuru Zoo, was selected to be paired with ‘Gowri,’ who was alone at Bannerghatta. Even Gowri was gifted to BBP from Mysuru Zoo. On Apr. 24, 2020, Yadunandan was placed in a special container and with the help of a crane, the container was placed on a low floor-long-chassis truck, which transported him to Bannerghatta. Process of conditioning ‘Yadunandan’ for the journey was undertaken at Mysuru Zoo and the giraffe was acclimatised to special enclosure. Care was taken so that giraffe does not panic inside cage while being transported.