Chanakya and another tortoise, who was 95 years old, were the main attractions at the zoo since it opened.
Chanakya, the giant tortoise who loved eating sweet potatoes, passed away at Nehru Zoological Garden in Hyderabad when he was 125 years old. He was the oldest animal living in the zoo, and he died because of problems related to old age.
The zookeepers got worried when Chanakya stopped eating. The head of the zoo’s veterinary team, Dr. MA Hakeem, kept an eye on him. Even though they gave him his favorite food of sweet potatoes and spinach, Chanakya didn’t eat anything for 10 days. One morning, when the zookeepers went to clean his area, they found that he had passed away while sleeping.
Chanakya was moved to Hyderabad Zoo from Public Gardens (Bagh-E-Aam) in Nampally in 1963, and he lived there ever since. Before the zoo was built, animals used to be kept at Public Gardens. It’s the oldest park in Hyderabad, built by the seventh Nizam.
According to the first report after Chanakya’s death, he had organ failure. To find out more, samples were sent to Veterinary Biological and Rech Institute and Veterinary College in Rajendranagar for further examination.
The Galapagos giant tortoise is the biggest type of tortoise. They are famous for helping Charles Darwin develop his theory of evolution. Scientists have been studying them for years to learn about how humans evolved.
