Another blackbuck dies at Nandan Van Zoo

The death of blackbucks due to some unidentified disease do not seem to be stopping at Nandan Van Zoo. One more death of blackbuck was reported thereby raising the toll to ten, informed Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) KC Bevarta on Friday. Meanwhile, a five-member team of doctors from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh reached Raipur and examined the blackbucks. However, they could not ascertain the reason of their death.

Dr AK Sharma from IVRI while talking to reporters said that reasons of death could be anything ranging from disease to any kind of infection or even sudden change in season. “The exact reason of death could be known only after testing of samples in the laboratory. In the meantime, blackbucks have been shifted to different enclosures and no other animal is being kept in their enclosure so that it could be disinfected. We have also told zoo authorities to change the source of fodder being provided to blackbucks,” he said. 

The team performed post mortem of 10th blackbuck which had died on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. The team would test the samples in the laboratory at IVRI Bareilly and would also send the samples to other centers across India so that better detection and testing of samples could be performed.

Notably, blackbucks had started to die at Nandan Van located on outskirts of city from May 19. One by one, 10 of the blackbucks have died so far. The experts from Veterinary Hospital Anjora (Durg) who had examined the carcasses of blackbuck also could not identify the reason of death.