THRISSUR: Ten spotted deer were found dead inside their enclosure at the newly inaugurated Thrissur Zoological Park at Puthur on Tuesday. Preliminary investigation revealed that the animals were attacked by stray dogs that might have entered the deer’s enclosure at night.
The incident has raised questions on the security of animals at the 336-acre zoological park that was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on October 28.
Forest Minister A K Saseendran has ordered a probe into the incident, while Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G Krishnan visited the zoological park for a preliminary assessment of the situation.
“The stray dogs would have scared the deer and while running away from the dogs, they might have hit the walls. However, the exact cause of death will only be known after postmortem examination,” said zoo director B N Nagaraj.
Call to conduct safety audit at zoological park
Nagaraj said the possibility of stray dogs entering the enclosure was low and only a proper investigation could give a clear picture.
According to sources, while all other animals were taken back to their kraal by evening, the spotted deer were left to wander inside their enclosures as these animals prefer it. Shifting of spotted deer from the old zoo at at Chembukkav was one of the challenging tasks that the authorities faced as these animals succumb to stress immediately.
Despite the challenges, the shifting was done successfully and they were seemingly adapted to the environment at Puthur.
Puthur zoo currently has about 63 species of animals and birds that were shifted from the old zoo. A hippopotamus was set to be shifted to Puthur soon. However, the transfer of animals is likely to be delayed further in the wake of the latest development.
In the wake of the death of deer, Friends of Zoo, an informal organisation that played a crucial part in implementation of Puthur Zoo, urged the forest department to conduct a safety audit at the zoological park before proceeding with the transfer of animals from the old zoo. M Peethambaran, secretary of the organisation, urged the authorities to form a team of zoo designers and evaluate the completed facilities to avoid any such incident in future.
The organisation also urged the authorities to obtain a certificate of fitness from Central Zoo Authority before allowing more people into the park.