More zoo deaths in Northeast India

Eight deer die of pneumonia - Continuous exposure to heavy rain leads to tragedy

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.

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

From- <nilesh@pawsasia.org>