Three more deer die at Bengaluru biological park

Bengaluru: Three more deer died at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru allegedly due to a bacterial infection, the officials said on Friday.

Thirty-seven spotted deer were shifted from St. John’s Hospital in Bengaluru to Bannerghatta Biological Park here last month. Out of them, 16 deer died in the last one week due to ‘hemorrhagic enteritis and endocarditis’ and fighting among themselves, they said.

The Park’s Executive Director, A V Surya Sen, told PTI on Friday: ”We lost three more deer. Two died on Thursday night while another succumbed on Friday morning. A post-mortem has been conducted. Initial examination has revealed the cause of death to be stress induced Clostridium bacterial infection. However, we have sent samples to the Veterinary College in Hebbal for cross-examination.”

This comes close on the heels of the death of seven leopard cubs that were infected by a highly contagious virus — Feline panleukopenia.

Following these deaths, Karnataka Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment Eshwara Khandre on Thursday visited Bannerghatta Biological Park and held a meeting with its senior officials.

The minister directed all the zoos in the state to be on high alert and instructed the officials concerned to take necessary precautionary measures to prevent infection of wild animals (belonging to the cat species).

Khandre said the park is a very safe and protected place and the death of animals on such a large scale is really shocking.

Forest and medical officers should coordinate and inspect all the animals and give priority to their care and conservation, he had said.

During the meeting, he also ordered the concerned officials to immediately inform the government and higher authorities in case of a sudden or suspicious death of any wild animals. The minister also advised officials to vaccinate cats like leopards, lions, and tigers in the famous Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysuru and other zoos, if necessary.