Nearly 14 blackbucks have died in the Lucknow zoo in the past one week, mainly due to bronchopneumonia.
According to Dr Parag Nigam, an expert from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), bronchopneumonia is severe infection of the lungs. “The blackbucks, most of them sub-adult females with a weaker immune system, died of respiratory distress and had severely affected lungs,” he said.
Though zoo has started putting control measures in place, the disturbing toll over the last few years has made experts feel the need for a detailed study on the cause of death.
Dr A.K. Sharma, principal scientist, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly said that six autopsies had been conducted and laboratory findings are awaited.
Wildlife Institute of India has taken six viscera samples to find out more on the cause of deaths. The experts do not deny that it needs further research because black bucks are the most vulnerable of all the antelopes (horn-species). “We agree it needs to be researched why black bucks are dying most of the time,” said Dr Sharma.
More than 70 blackbucks have died at Akbar’s tomb in Agra and the zoos in Kanpur and Lucknow since 2008. Nearly 31 blackbucks were found dead in Kanpur zoo on January 20 this year that later led to the suspension of zoo officials.