MORE ZOO DEATHS IN NORTHEAST INDIA

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060925/asp/northeast/story_6789847.asp

 

Eight deer die of pneumonia

- Continuous exposure to heavy rain leads to tragedy

 

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Agartala, Sept. 24: Heavy rain over the past five days has taken the

unlikeliest toll in Tripura. Altogether seven spotted deer and one

barking deer in the Sipahijala animal sanctuary in West Tripura have

died of pneumonia.

 

The multiple deaths were discovered when the guard in the deer park

of the zoo went to open it around 8 am for routine inspection

yesterday. He informed wildlife warden Rajat Chandra Das. Das

visited the deer park with a veterinary surgeon P.K. Halder.

 

Halder said all the deer had died of high temperature. The autopsy

carried out later confirmed that they had contracted pneumonia from

continued exposure to incessant rain in their open-air shelter.

 

" It was a heart-rending scene with many deer siting around their

dead brethren and shedding tears, " said Das. The Sipahijala wildlife

sanctuary has got 400 deer — many more than it could actually

accommodate with care and facilities for survival, he added.

 

" We have been planning to transport a few deer to zoos in other

states as well as sterilise a number of them but the tragedy struck

before anything could be done, " Das said.

 

He, however, admitted that there is only one covered shed for all

the 400 deer and most of them have to remain outside even during

rain or storm.

 

" It is true that we need at least 10 sheds but there is no fund to

build them according to specifications, " Das said.

 

Siddhartha Mohanty, curator of the Sipahijala wildlife sanctuary,

admitted that exposure to heavy rain had led to the death of the

deer. " It is good that there has been no viral infection but we have

asked our veterinary surgeon Sajal Chakraborty to file a detailed

report on how the deer can be best protected till more sheds are

built, " said Mohanty.