BENGALURU: After the death of seven leopard cubs, the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) has recorded the death of 15 spotted deer, which were suffering from Clostridium Bacterial infection.
BBP Executive Director AV Surya Sen told The New Indian Express that the 15 deer were part of the 38 that were rescued and brought from St John’s Hospital in Bengaluru on August 17. They were kept under quarantine in a separate enclosure that was created for them in the herbivore safari area.
He said that when these animals were brought, they fought among themselves on the first day and five died of severe injuries. After some days, as per procedure, they were shifted to a soft quarantine area. There they started developing a bacterial infection in their gut. The toxins in the liver started to multiply and the animals started to die.
A veterinarian explained that cases of Clostridium Bacterial infection are also reported among sheep during monsoon when the fresh blade of grass shoots up and the young or weak ones are unable to manage the change in chemical composition, developing liver cirrhosis.
The forest department had handed over four deer to St John’s Hospital in the 1980s. They had bred among themselves and their numbers had multiplied to 38. All of them are genetically weak because of inbreeding. The remaining 23 surviving deer are anaemic and very weak. There are chances of more deer dying in the coming days, BBP officials said.
The rescued deer will continue to stay in the quarantine area and will not be allowed to mingle with the existing herbivore population of the zoo. These animals will also not be on display as per the protocol that no rescued animal is put on public display.
CAUSE: CLOSTRIDIUM BACTERIAL INFECTION
They started developing a bacterial infection in their gut. The toxins in the liver started to multiply and the animals started to die.