Nearly two weeks after its lone ostrich died under mysterious circumstances, Delhi zoo is planning to bring a pair of the flightless birds from Kanpur. This decision has been taken up after several deaths of animals were reported in the zoo.
“A team will be sent to Kanpur to bring a male and female ostrich to Delhi zoo. We have got all permissions so the birds can be expected at the zoo here within a month,” Riyaz Khan, zoo curator said.
The National Zoological Park lost a female African ostrich recently. The bird was brought from Thiruvananthapuram zoo in 2014 under an exchange programme along with a male ostrich. The male ostrich had died in 2015.
“The death of the female ostrich was sudden. It did not show any signs of illness. We are waiting for the lab reports to ascertain the exact cause of the death,” Khan said.
The zoo was hit by a spate of deaths of spotted deer recently. While the zoo officials maintained that the animals were affected by rabies, experts as well as the team appointed by Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to probe the matter alleged negligence on their part having led to the deaths.
The last remaining Ostrich died in the Delhi Zoological Park earlier in July under mysterious circumstances.
According to officials, there are no Ostrich left in the zoo now. Similarly, Delhi zoo had lost its only giraffe earlier. Sources say that all the giraffes have died inside the zoo and their enclosure is now unused.
Another incident of a spate of deer deaths in Delhi Zoo also raised concerns about the conditions and well being of the animals within the zoo.