In an unfortunate incident, loud music from Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, a five-star resort on the outskirts of the city, killed a 12-year-old crocodile at nearby a reptile zoo last week.
One of the main reasons why the Cuban crocodile, which is declared as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, died on March 30 is due to the stress it went through due to vibrations of the loud music, reports The Times of India.
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (MCBTCH) said that this is not the only time that they have raised concerns regarding the well-being of the animals. "The Cuban crocodile's enclosure is about 50 feet from the wall which divides the hotel from them and powerful speakers were placed right next to it," Romulus Whitaker, a Padma Shri awardee and one of the founders of MCBTCH, was quoted as saying by TOI.
The MCBTCH had already spoken to the authorities from the resort in February and the resort's management had assured that they will keep the animals in mind and also extended their support.
Whitaker told TOI that an autopsy could not be done since the carcass was too rotten by the time they could get to it. The autopsy should be conducted within 24 hours of death. He added that loud music and vibrations cause the heart rate of the animals to go up which kill them. The authorities said that the noise also makes the animals fight with each other.
