Daily Times

Five deer of a rare species have died of bacterial infection at Bahawalpur Zoo, Curator Usman Bukhari confirmed. He said that the dead deer included two female deer and three bucks. He said that bacterial infection caused death of five deer. “Our veterinary doctors examined bodies of the deer,” he said, adding that test reports confirmed that bacterial infection caused death of the deer. Bukhari said that a group of deer of Ariaal species was infected with bacterial infection and they were under treatment by our veterinary doctors. He added that however, the infection caused death of the animals. He said that medical samples of the dead deer had been dispatched to Lahore for further laboratory examination. He added that all five deer died within a week. He said that a team of veterinary doctors had also been monitoring health of remaining deer. Official sources said that Secretary Wildlife Department, Government of Punjab, Capt (retd) Zafar Iqbal had taken notice of death of five deer of Ariaal species at Bahawalpur Zoo. He directed the officials concerned to conduct inquiry into the incident. They further said that Director General, Wildlife Department has been assigned task to conduct inquiry into the incident. It is recalled here that earlier, three mouflon sheep were also found dead at Bahawalpur Zoo on August 29. “Arrangements have been made for forensic test of bodies of the deer and sheep,” official sources concluded.