Belagavi (Karnataka), Nov 17 (IANS) The death toll of blackbucks at the Kittur Rani Chennamma Mini Zoo in Belagavi district rose to 30 on Monday, after another endangered animal died purportedly because of bacterial infection. The few remaining blackbucks are currently under monitoring. An intense medical supervision is currently underway at the zoo, to curb the survival threat looming over the rest of them.

The mysterious death of the blackbucks, which thousands of people used to visit daily to see, has raised many suspicions. Not only from Belagavi, but also from neighbouring districts and even from Maharashtra, tourists would visit the zoo and enjoy watching the animals here.

The preliminary post-mortem report has indicated an outbreak of a bacterial disease in the zoo.

Previously, the death of 29 blackbucks in Kittur Rani Chennamma Mini Zoo in a span of three days had raised concerns in Karnataka, and the authorities were awaiting the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and post-mortem reports to know the reason.

The mass death of blackbucks — an endangered species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act — has sparked outrage among wildlife conservationists and animal lovers.

Authorities confirmed that the post mortem has revealed that the blackbucks have died because of Hemorrhagic Septicemia (HS), which is a significant and often fatal bacterial disease. The situation is similar to that of Corona pandemic. This bacterial infections spread only among animals which are herbivores, the authorities maintained.

The second round of post-mortem of three blackbucks was conducted on Sunday by a team of two doctors, who arrived from Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta National Park. The doctors also took the samples of the food given to blackbucks for a week.

The case of the death of 30 blackbucks at the Kittur Chennamma Mini Zoo has taken a serious turn. The contradictory statements by authorities has raised further suspicions.

It can be recalled that blackbucks died under suspicious circumstances at the Kittur Chennamma Mini Zoo in Bhutaramanahatti village of Belagavi taluk. The death of a total of 30 blackbucks within a span of four days has raised concerns.

On November 13, eight blackbucks in the zoo died. Samples were sent to the laboratory to ascertain the cause of death. Even before those reports arrived, another 20 blackbucks died. On Sunday, another blackbuck died in the premises of the Zoo.

An investigation is underway to determine whether the mysterious deaths were due to negligence by the Forest Department or due to disease. Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has ordered strict precautions and warned of action if the staff’s negligence is found.

Preliminary findings suggested a bacterial infection as the cause of the mass deaths, raising serious concerns over the alleged negligence of the zoo’s veterinary doctors and forest staff.

Experts said the death toll could have been far lower if the infected blackbucks had been detected early and immediately isolated. The lack of regular health monitoring and the delay in responding to the first signs of illness are being seen as serious lapses by the authorities in charge of the animals’ welfare.

The blackbucks were brought from the Gadag zoo about four to five years ago. The animals were between four and six years old.

–IANS

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