Death of white tigers caused by worms<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
City inspector Hendarin Ono Saleh denied on Monday reports
\nthat the three white tiger cubs at Ragunan Zoo died from rotten
\nmeat, saying that the deaths were caused by a type of hookworm.<\/p>\n
"We have inspected the zoo and questioned zoo officials. We
\nhave concluded, based on the tigers' autopsies, that the deaths
\nwere caused by worms," Hendarin said after reporting his
\ninvestigation on the matter to City Governor Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
He said the administration would take legal action against
\nanyone who had reported that the deaths of the rare animals were
\ncaused by rancid pork provided by the zoo, which is located in
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"The governor told us to take legal action as that was
\ndefamation," Hendarin said at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Separately, the zoo's veterinarian, Bambang Triana, said the
\ndeaths were caused by Galoncus permiciosus worms, which are a
\ntype of hookworm.<\/p>\n
"The worms usually appear once every 20 years. This case has
\nbeen found in zoos in Hamburg, Germany, and New Delhi, India,"
\nBambang said.<\/p>\n
He said the worms only attacked carnivores and were not
\ndangerous to humans.<\/p>\n
He said two other tigers and two lions were infected by the
\nworms, but they could be saved by administering Albendozole, a
\nmedicine used to treat the parasite.<\/p>\n
"We also doused the soil (where the worms were found) in the
\nanimals' cages with an antiseptic solution and hot water to kill
\nany remaining worms," Bambang said at City Hall.<\/p>\n
He said the bodies of the three-month-old white tiger cubs,
\nnamed Rano, Rani and Ranu, were being kept for further study.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the zoo's deputy director, Abdullah Baab, said that
\nthe zoo did not report the deaths of the tiger cubs to Governor
\nSutiyoso.<\/p>\n
"Our director had yet to report the deaths probably because he
\nhas been busy," Abdullah said.<\/p>\n
Zoo director Ismianto is in Australia attending a meeting of
\nthe world's zoo directors.<\/p>\n
Rano died on Aug. 21, Rani died on Aug. 27 and Ranu died the
\nfollowing day.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said that he was shocked to learn of the white tiger
\ncubs' deaths. He said that he had taken his daughter Reni to see
\nthe tigers four times at the zoo.<\/p>\n
The zoo, which received two white tigers from the United
\nStates several years ago, had successfully bred the animals in
\ncaptivity.<\/p>\n
Twelve white tigers still remain at the zoo.<\/p>\n
Ismiati told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the tigers had
\ndied of typhoid.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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