Days after reopening, zoo sees black buck's death

Just days after the Delhi Zoo was reopened, a black buck has died after getting injured in a fight with another antelope.

"The black buck died three-four days ago after suffering internal bleeding during a fight with another deer. It was immediately attended to by doctors but could not survive," Delhi Zoo curator Riaz Khan said.

Some sources, however, claimed that the deer died due to the medical negligence of the zoo authorities. Khan, however, said, "It is not a big deal. The antelope died after a fight. We are still waiting for the details and can give more information after speaking to the zoo Director."

It could not be ascertained if the authorities have ordered an inquiry into the matter.

The black buck has been listed as a 'Near Threatened' species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The animal, found mostly in India, Nepal, and Pakistan, is now extinct in Bangladesh.

The zoo had been shut on October 18, 2016, after many free ranging birds, including painted storks, ducks, and rosy pelican, tested positive for the H5N8 Avian Influenza virus. Since the outbreak, as many as 125 birds were found dead. Not all of them, however, tested positive for the virus.

Last month, a baby gibbon was also found dead, adding to the list of casualties Multiple animal casualties have plagued the Delhi Zoo in the past few years, including deaths of migratory birds, deer, ostrich, giraffe, and langurs. Animal lovers have constantly slammed the zoo authorities for their "negligence".