Female Sangai deer dies at Delhi zoo

A female Sangai deer died at the Delhi Zoo on Saturday morning after sustaining injuries, with a senior official describing the incident as “unusual and accidental”.

The deer was estimated to be between two and three years old.

Officials also reported that a nilgai (blue bull) was injured. Zoo Director Sanjeet Kumar stated, “The death of the female deer was unusual and accidental.”

Regarding the nilgai incident, Kumar mentioned that dominant males had already been separated.

Sources at the zoo attributed the death to mismanagement, citing hormonal changes during the estrus period that often lead to heightened tension and aggression among animals. The source added that the deer had not yet been segregated.

Earlier, on January 2, a one-horned rhinoceros named Dharmendra, brought from the Assam zoo as part of an animal exchange programme, died under “mysterious circumstances” at the Delhi zoo.

Additionally, on December 28, a nine-month-old white tiger cub died due to “traumatic shock and acute pneumonia.”

Also Read: 609 water birds of 19 species recorded in Delhi Zoo census exercise

The Delhi Zoo is home to over 90 different species, housing more than 1,000 birds and animals, including leopards, lions, wolves, Asiatic elephants, and chinkaras.

(With inputs from PTI)