Nerve stimulants, ray therapy for ailing zoo hippo
Times of India | 12 January 2026
Kolkata: The Alipore zoo ailing hippopotamus has reportedly responded to treatment and made some movement on Thursday.
It is also having food now, said a zoo source. For more than two weeks, it was unable to move probably because of a neurological disease or a injury in its front leg.
It has stayed put in a pool of water in its enclosure for more than a fortnight and refused to leave even in the evening for its night shelter.
Nerve-stimulating medicines and antibiotics in form of injections and UV ray were used to treat the zoo inmate, said a source.
"There was painful swelling in its leg. So, we didn't rule out possibility of a bacterial infection, hence the antibiotics were given. Ray therapy was also planned to give it relief," said a source.
TOI on Thursday reported that the officials have set up a five-member medical team which is monitoring the three-and-a-half-year-old inmate — named Hippo One — 24X7 and are in touch with other zoos to decide on the course of treatment.
Ray therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free method that helps alleviate pain, improve joint mobility, and reduce stiffness.
The young male was brought to Alipore zoo from Odisha's Nandankanan in 2024 with a female companion.
The female died within days of arrival. The city zoo houses another hippo, a female aged around 22.
Sources said that the hippo, weighing around two tonnes, is stuck in the moat since Dec 22.
"Attempt was once made to clean out the moat water to bring it out for treatment but the officials decided against it as hippo is an animal that needs constant hydration," added the source.
In Aug 2024, a 35-year-old hippo died during a dental procedure.
The animal had overgrown canines, which caused deep facial wounds that were suspected to be turning malignant.