Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Sterilisation of deer: zoo refutes charges

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 14 . The sterilisation of spotted deer and sambar deer done at the city zoo recently was aimed solely at improving their living conditions and only three sambar deer died as a result of this surgical procedure, the zoo director, C.S. Yelakki, has written to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

The Authority had sought a report from the zoo following reports about the death of five deer during the final round of the sterilisation drive that lasted from January 25 to 31, this year.

The director's report says that two spotted deer "jumped out of their old enclosure barricades out of provocation and later died owing to exhaustion" during the process of capture. "Three sambar deer which were operated upon died a day after the operation was carried out."

The report further elaborates that no population control measures were resorted to in the past "fearing likely anti-propaganda by the media and animal rights activists alike." However, the burgeoning deer population in the zoo left the authorities with no option, but to go in for a surgical intervention.

" As a zoo professional, I am convinced and satisfied with the whole process of sterilisation carried out successfully on these deer and the extent of mortality caused during the process," the director says in the report. The mortality rate of the sterilisation drive was "very minimum." The whole process was conducted in a most transparent manner and hence any media reports giving higher mortality rates are far from the truth, the report concludes.

Mr. Yelakki told The Hindu here today that the former Union Minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi had contacted the CZA for details about the death of deer at the zoo following sterilisation. "There were some reports saying that six deer had died following sterilisation. I wanted the CZA to know that this was false and that we had nothing to hide in this matter," he said.

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