Belagavi Zoo Toll Rises to 31 Blackbucks; Probe Ordered
Belagavi Zoo Toll Rises to 31 Blackbucks; Probe Ordered
Thirty-one blackbucks died at a Belagavi zoo in a week, suspected bacterial infection prompts a state probe and enhanced safety measures.
In Belagavi's Kittur Rani Chennamma Zoo, the toll on the blackbuck population has risen to 31 after a string of deaths over the past week, with officials pointing to a bacterial infection as the likely cause.
The zoo's deer enclosure, which housed 38 blackbucks, has now seen 31 deaths; only seven survivors remain.
Pathologists from the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals are on site, conducting necropsies and collecting samples.
Water and food samples have been sent to a government laboratory, while viscera samples were sent to experts at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru to establish the exact cause.
A high-level inquiry has been ordered by the forest department. Minister Eshwar Khandre directed officials to take comprehensive precautions and pledged action if negligence is found.
The committee will examine potential contagious infections, contaminated water or food sources, and the possibility of transmission from nearby domestic animals.
Conservationists note that the blackbuck is listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and call for stronger animal management and disease-prevention measures at zoos.
Cover image source: 29 Blackbucks found dead in Belagavi zoo: Officials 🔗
