Spotted hyena bites off toddler’s wrist in Dhaka zoo

The 2-year-old put his hand into the cage through iron grills and nets

A spotted hyena has bitten off the wrist from the right hand of a 2-year-old boy at Bangladesh National Zoo in Dhaka’s Mirpur.

The toddler put his hand into the cage through iron grills and nets when others were not noticing around 11:45am on Thursday, police said.

Mafizur Rahman, an assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the grills and nets of the cage are seven feet high.

It also has an iron safety barrier and instructions not to cross the bar, but the child somehow went through the railing.

He was being treated at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation.

Mafizur said the child came to the zoo with his mother and five other relatives from Gazipur in the morning.

“We’re checking if someone’s negligence led to the incident.”

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, the director of the zoo, said they formed a committee to investigate the incident.

“If someone is found negligent, they will face action.”

Rafiqul said the zoo authorities took necessary steps for the treatment of the child.

The fisheries and livestock ministry also launched an investigation into the incident.

Joint Secretary Shahina Frdous, who is leading the investigation, said their report would include recommendations to improve safety besides action against people responsible for the incident.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, the child’s mother Shiuli Begum blamed the zoo authorities for the incident. “My child has lost an arm for life. It happened because of the zoo’s negligence.”

Citing Shiuli, zoo Director Rafiqul said the woman, her mother, mother-in-law and the child went near the netted grills by crossing the safety railing. Her father was outside. Shiuli was holding the child’s hand, but he got away somehow.

Upon hearing him cry, his grandfather and a nearby security guard rushed to the site and saw a hyena mauling an arm of the child. As they tried to pull his hand out, the hyena bit it off from the wrist and went away.

Rafiqul said they believed the child was moving his hand after putting it inside the cage and the hyena acted fast after noticing the movement.

“But no visitor is supposed to breach the safety railing because we have a security guard there. We’re checking if the guard neglected his duty.”