Polo, South Asia's only gorilla, dies at Mysore zoo

April 28, 2014
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Mysore, Apr 28: The Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysore zoo) lost one of its precious inmates, 43-year-old male gorilla Polo, late on Saturday night.

Polo, which was six-foot tall, dark-haired, well-behaved and bilingual, was the only primate in the country. It was born in 1972 and was received from Dublin Zoo, Ireland, on August 8, 1995. He was living a solitary life ever since he landed in the Mysore zoo.

B P Ravi, Executive Director, Mysore zoo, told Deccan Herald that the life span of gorilla is about 35 years, but Polo has outlived that and was active, except during his last days. The zoo's efforts to get him a companion over the years were futile. He was a favourite among the visitors.

Polo is a western lowland gorilla, a native to Central Africa. Silverback gorillas — marked with a distinctive patch — are dominant males, which usually live in family groups in the wild. In the past one month, Polo preferred to stay out of his enclosure and used to sleep on his favourite swing, covering a blanket when it was cold. He responded to commands in both Kannada and English.

Ravi said Polo had lost appetite for a month.

“He seemed to be restless with hurried respiration and drooping of lower lip. Liver extracts and vitamin supplements were administered, following which, he showed a little improvement.

He was reluctant to oral drugs such as zinc, iron, multi-vitamins, oral antibiotics and pain killers with milk, tea and juice,” Ravi said. “The zoo tried to analyse the cause for the sudden ailment.

As tranquilising the animal at old age and with poor health status was considered highly risky, detailed physical examination and sample collection for laboratory analysis were practically not possible,” he said.

For the past two weeks, Polo's condition became worse with respiratory dyspnea and hurried thoracic respiration.

In the last two days, his activities markedly decreased and he refused food almost completely. Finally, he did not respond to treatment and died, Ravi said.

History

Earlier, a pair of gorillas — Sugreeva and Sumathi — were the star attractions of the Mysore zoo. Sugreeva, the male gorilla, died within one year of being brought to the zoo. From then on, Sumathi lived a solitary life for more than 16 years.

The zoo authorities corresponded with the authorities of the world's leading zoos, seeking a male gorilla. In 1992, Bobo, a male gorilla, was brought from Tel Aviv in Israel. However, Bobo became diabetic and its forehand was amputated due to gangrene. Subsequently, it died.

After four years, the zoo received Polo. Sumathi, who had aged considerably, died in 2001, due to cardiac arrest.

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News Network
January 7,2025

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Mangaluru: A tragic road accident claimed the life of a young medical store owner on Monday, January 6, near Tiblapadavu, Natekallu, located on the outskirts of the city.

The victim, identified as 25-year-old Ausaf, was the proprietor of Hajira Medicals and the son of Jaleel, a resident of Derlakatte. 

The unfortunate incident unfolded as Ausaf was riding his bike from Derlakatte toward Tiblapadavu. Upon approaching a divider near Tiblapadavu, a lorry made a sudden turn, resulting in a collision between the motorbike and the rear of the lorry. Ausaf succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Having completed his education a few years ago, Ausaf had taken up the responsibility of managing Hajira Medicals at Derlakatte Junction. He was well-known in his community for his dedication and service.

Authorities at the Mangaluru South Traffic Police Station have registered a case, and CCTV footage capturing the incident is under review. The tragic loss has left the local community in shock, mourning the untimely demise of a promising young entrepreneur. 

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News Network
January 3,2025

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BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath and several BJP leaders were arrested in Mangaluru during a protest organized by the Dakshina Kannada BJP Yuva Morcha near Mini Vidhana Soudha. 

The protest targeted the Congress-led Siddaramaiah government, accusing it of fostering an environment of harassment and distress, which the BJP claims has led to multiple suicides among contractors and government officials.

Key Points:

Addressing the gathering before his arrest, Kamath criticized the Congress government, alleging that neither contractors nor honest officials have found peace since it assumed power. He remarked, "Suicide seems to be the only 'guarantee' under this administration."

Kamath cited the suicide of contractor Sachin, allegedly driven to death by harassment from individuals linked to Minister Priyank Kharge.

Other cases highlighted included the suicides of Chandrashekar, superintendent of the Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation, and Rudresh, who was allegedly harassed by an aide of Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar.

Kamath also referred to a Dalit inspector, Parashuram, who reportedly succumbed to alleged torture connected to Congress MLA Channareddy Patil’s son.

He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of remaining silent due to political fears over their positions.

Prominent BJP leaders such as Ramesh Kandetthu, Premananda Shetty, Vikas Puttur, Nandan Mallya, Monappa Bhandary, Pooja Pai, Deputy Mayor Bhanumathi, and Sanjay Prabhu participated in the protest alongside party workers and municipal council members.

The protest escalated, resulting in the arrest of Kamath and other BJP leaders by the police, marking a dramatic standoff between BJP and Congress.

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News Network
January 9,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant development, Mescom has proposed a phased electricity tariff hike starting with Rs 0.70 per unit for the fiscal year 2025-26. The proposal has been submitted to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for approval, signaling a potential increase in electricity costs for consumers.

Mescom emphasized that the current tariff structure is insufficient to meet operational expenses and manage revenue effectively. To address this, the company has invited public objections to the proposed hike.

Currently, the electricity supply cost is Rs 9.23 per unit, while the consumer tariff stands at Rs 8.53 per unit, leading to a shortfall of Rs 0.70 per unit. For the financial year 2023-24, Mescom reported revenue of Rs 5,924.73 crore against an expenditure of Rs 6,310.39 crore, resulting in a deficit of Rs 367.66 crore. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, projected revenue is Rs 5,850.81 crore, with an actual requirement of Rs 5,961.63 crore, creating a deficit of Rs 110.82 crore.

In a first, Mescom has submitted a multi-year tariff revision proposal to KERC. The plan outlines a hike of Rs 0.70 per unit for 2025-26, followed by Rs 0.37 per unit for 2026-27 and Rs 0.54 per unit for 2027-28.

"An increase in electricity tariff is inevitable," stated Jayakumar R, Managing Director of Mescom. "Mescom has submitted a proposal in this regard to KERC."

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