Three blackbucks die in ‘stray dogs attack’ at zoo

Karachi

Three male blackbucks, also called Indian antelopes, were found dead at Karachi Zoo on Monday morning; the employees there claim that they were attacked by stray dogs while the zoo’s director maintains that the deer had killed each other.

The zoo’s employees said stray dogs had entered the blackbucks’ enclosure on Sunday night and killed three of them. The dogs had also eaten most of the flesh of the dead antelopes.

They further said there was nobody at the zoo to ensure the animals’ safety at that time.

The employees added that as the dogs had mutilated the bodies, the blackbucks’ skins could not be removed and the corpses were immediately buried after they were found.

However, Faheem Khan, the zoo’s director, said the blackbucks had died because of infighting, which was quite common.

 “It’s a natural phenomenon. Three of the male blackbucks fought late in the night and when the zoo staff arrived in the morning, they found them dead,” he told The News.

The zoo director said there were 19 blackbucks in the enclosure - 12 females, four males including the three that died on Sunday night and three fawns.

“There were a few watchmen present at the zoo at night but they did not spot the animals fighting,” he added.

“No other blackbuck was found injured, indicating that these three males had fought with each other and died because of the wounds suffered during the fight.”

To a query, he said skins of the dead animals would be peeled off and preserved. “But we don’t need to stuff the bodies as there are already stuffed blackbucks at the National Museum.”

The premises of the Karachi Zoological Garden are walled and there are security guards deployed at its gates. However, stray dogs are commonly seen inside the zoo and there have been incidents of them attacking animals and birds in the past too.

Animal breeding

The director said the animals at the zoo were successfully breeding and recently, a pair of rare Chital had given birth to a fawn while three pairs of African Lemurs had now multiplied into six.

“We are taking steps for the breeding of animals and birds at the zoo and these efforts are paying off as in the last few years, many animals with us have bred to multiply their numbers.”