Unbearable heat in the national Capital took its toll on a seventeen-year-old stallion of the Delhi Police Mounted division. Initial reports suggest Bhima — a chestnut stallion — died due to heatstroke, said a senior officer, adding that “his carcass has been sent for an autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death”. According to the officer, Bhima, along with a team of 26 horses of the Mounted Police, was handled by a Head Constable at Old Police lines in North Delhi. “He was absolutely normal and took his usual diet on Sunday till he suddenly collapsed due to heatstroke at Bela Farms stable around 10.30 on the same night,” he added.
Bhima’s last diet included a mixture of barley, Bengal gram and wheat dust, which he took at 4 pm as usual. Some grass was given to him in the evening as a supplement.
Bhima was inducted in the Delhi Police from Army when he was just two-year-old in 2001 and had participated in various ceremonial functions in the Capital, including the Republic Day parade at Rajpath.
With Bhima’s death, the total strength of horses in the Delhi Mounted Police has been reduced to 42. Of the total horses, 26 are lodged in the stable yard at Civil lines, while three are kept in Kalkaji police station in South Delhi and 14 are in Police Training College (PTC) in Jharoda Kalan in South-West district. The sanctioned strength of the horses for the unit stands at 95. Delhi Police needs 53 more horses to reach to the optimum level of strength, the official added.