Daijiworld Media Network - Thrissur

Thrissur, Nov 12: In a shocking incident that has sparked outrage and raised serious safety concerns, at least 10 deer were killed by stray dogs at Kerala’s newly inaugurated Puthur Zoological Park in Thrissur.

The incident, reported less than a month after the zoo’s grand opening, has exposed major lapses in security and animal protection measures at the state’s much-hyped facility.

A team led by wildlife expert Dr Arun Zacharia visited the park on Tuesday to conduct a detailed inspection and initiate an inquiry into the deaths. Officials confirmed that the exact cause of death would be ascertained only after post-mortem examinations are completed.

Zoo Director Nagaraj declined to comment when contacted by the media, maintaining silence amid growing public concern over the tragedy.

The Puthur Zoological Park, which is spread across 336 acres, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on October 28. Billed as Asia’s second-largest zoological park and India’s first “designer zoo,” the state-of-the-art facility is designed to house 534 animals from 80 species in 23 open, naturalistic enclosures.

Currently, the zoo has opened registration for educational institutions, with general public entry yet to commence. Animals from the old Thrissur Zoo are being gradually relocated to the new premises in a phased manner.

Despite repeated appeals, zoo authorities have reportedly refused to release CCTV footage related to the incident, further fuelling criticism from wildlife activists and the public alike.

Environmentalists have demanded an independent probe into the lapse, calling it a “serious breach of responsibility” and urging the government to ensure that such incidents do not recur in one of the state’s most ambitious wildlife projects.