Bhubaneswar, May 21 -- A rescued ratel, commonly known as a honey badger, died allegedly due to dehydration while being transported from the Baripada Forest Division to Nandankanan Zoological Park for treatment on Thursday.
Zoo sources said the animal was brought to Nandankanan at around 5.30 AM, where veterinarians found it dead on arrival. Preliminary assessment indicated dehydration as the suspected cause of death.
The carcass has been sent for post-mortem examination, and the exact cause of death will be known after the report is received.
The ratel is a mammal species found across Africa, Southwest Asia and parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Nandankanan Zoological Park is among the four zoos in the country that house the species. At...