THRISSUR: The postmortem examination of the 10 spotted deer, that were found dead inside their enclosure at the Zoological Park at Puthur, found capture myopathy as the cause of the death.
“Capture myopathy is a condition in which the animals experience acute pressure when they get scared. It should be the attack of stray dogs that scared them and resulted in their death,” said veterinary surgeon Arun Zacharia.
Meanwhile, small bite marks were found on the body of three spotted deer during the autopsy of the carcasses.
The deer were found dead in the morning on Tuesday. Stray dogs had trespassed into the enclosure where spotted deer were accommodated. While all other animals are kept inside the kraal, spotted deer are left to wander around in their enclosure, considering their habits.
Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G Krishnan said that the zoo authorities had identified the way through which stray dogs had entered the enclosure. “Steps have been taken to close any such passages that could allow stray dogs into the zoo campus. Waste management will also have to be taken care of seriously, as it is the main factor that attracts stray dogs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Forest Minister A K Saseendran had sought a report on the incident within two days and a detailed report within 2 weeks. Friends of Zoo, an informal organisation that played a crucial part in setting up of Puthur Zoo, had sought a safety audit into the entire zoo to avoid any unlikely incidents that risk the lives of animals in the future.