Lack of proper care, poor treatment facilities alleged

The mother crocodile died from kidney stone last month, zoo sources said.

Magistrate Kamrul Hasan, in charge of the zoo on behalf of local administration, said the reason for death of the crocodile was established after post-mortem.

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The zoo doesn't have any veterinarian, he said. "We generally call in the vets when any animal needs treatment, but now we have decided to appoint a permanent vet."

Zoo sources said another female crocodile died from a severe gangrene two years ago.

They said that lack of proper care and poor treatment facilities led to the death of the crocodiles, an allegation denied by the zoo authorities.

The Forest Research Institute procured six crocodiles from the crocodile bank in Madras, India, in 1994, and five of them have so far died prematurely.

"The lone survivor now appears helpless and overwhelmed with shock after losing its partner. The babies, aged between four and five years, also seem missing the motherly care," said Moklesur Rahman, senior research officer of the institute.

"I think the crocodiles have died due to absence of natural condition," he said.

The institute received the six fresh water crocodiles, including four females, from Madras as gift for research work as this species are now almost extinct in Bangladesh.

"We are working on whether breeding of fresh water crocodile is possible here and we are successful to that end as two babies were born in captivity. In our country, we have salt water crocodiles," Rahman said.

During a visit to the zoo, this correspondent saw the adult crocodile lying motionless on the basking bank of the water houses meant for them. A quiet baby crocodile was also on the bank while the other inside the water house.

The water in the pools for the reptiles was dirty and covered with rotten leaves falling off the trees around, which is not a suitable condition for the crocodiles.

Zoo staff, however, said they change the water every seven or eight days. "We pump fresh water into the pools from outside and take care of them. We also provide meat to them regularly," said Mujibul Huq, a zoo staff.

New pump machines will be procured to supply water, he added.

Located near the scenic Foy's Lake, Chittagong zoo was set up over three acres of land in 1989.