Seven Chital deer die in Bahawalpur zoo

Author:

Seven rare deer of Chital breed mysteriously died in the Bahawalpur zoo on Saturday. The zoo management said 12 other deer are in critical condition and 22 have been "treated" after dozens of deer suddenly started getting sick.

It is suspected that the deer died after eating poisonous fodder; however, the management of the zoo is saying it cannot comment on the cause of death till post-mortems are complete.

Sources said that the deer killed at the Bahawalpur zoo were of a rare breed. Samples of the deer have been sent to Lahore to find out the cause of death.

According to local sources, rare deer died due to negligence of the administration and the cost of dead deer is said to be Rs1 million.

Earlier this month, another giraffe died at the Peshawar zoo, making it the fourth giraffe to die in the past few months. According to the zoo deputy director, immediate treatment was provided to the animal but he could not survive. He had said that the giraffe had died due to excessive saliva and diarrhea. With another death, only two giraffes remain at the zoo, out of the six.

Back in June, a three-year-old giraffe had died at the Peshawar Zoo in mysterious circumstances. Earlier, a giraffe had died on April 17 while a zebra also died in the facility.