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Kathmandu Monday June 25, 2001 Ashadh 11, 2058.
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Endangered pangolin dies in Hetaunda Zoo
Post Report
HETAUNDA, June 24 - The endangered pangolin, that was caught
here and handed over to a local mini-zoo at the Martyr’s Memorial Park died Friday.
Some fire-brigade employees caught it in the town 10 days
ago.
But the specimen of the endangered species was not safe even
in the zoo as employees were ignorant of the dietary habits of the pangolin and the
significance of the rare species. They, however, tried to feed it with some insects and
kept it in a cement pipe filled with soil.
RC Neupane, a zoo employee said that the pangolin died
despite the hardest effort of the zoo. "We are very sorry we could not save the
animal that could be an additional attraction of the zoo," he said.
Anil Shrestha, the zoologist of the Institution of Forestry
Hetauda said that the animal died because the zoo lacked its proper habitat and also
trained manpower to cure it.
"Even the central zoo in capital does not have proper
place for such tender animal."
The pangolin, which is a shy wild animal ventures into the
night in search of prey. Its favourite dish is the eggs of grasshoppers and selected types
of ants.
Enlisted as an endangered species, the pangolin found here
has a weight of 5 kg, with dimensions, 45 cms by 12 cms. A similar pangolin had been found
here 18 months ago.But it disappeared soon after, and how it did escape from the confines
of the zoo. While some say that the pangolin fled its confinements, others claim that it
died after refusing to eat anything for several days.
The zoo at Jawalakhel had refused to adopt a similar pangolin
three years ago, maintaining that it was impossible to keep it in a zoo.
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