7 deer die in Bahawalpur Zoo

BAHAWALPUR: Seven deer of rare species "Chittal" died in the Bahawalpur Zoo on Friday night on account of sheer negligence of the zoo administration headed by Acting Curator Abrar Ahmad.

In the wake of the incident, the DG Wildlife Department Punjab has constituted a 3-member inquiry committee led by Deputy Director Livestock Department Suhail Azmat to unearth the cause of death of the deer. According to sources, the zoo administration is more focused on revenue generation than to look after the wildlife at the zoo. On Christmas when the zoo was packed with visitors, fodder was provided to the deer very late, which was poisonous.

Deputy Director Wildlife Bahawalpur Zahid Ali refused to comment on the issue, saying that the samples of the dead deer have been dispatched to the University of Veterinary Sciences Bahawalpur as well as to the University of Veterinary Sciences Lahore and the findings would be made public. However, he admitted that on Friday, the deer suddenly collapsed in their cage and were given immediate first aid and 22 of them were saved.