Five deer die in 20 days in Bageshwar, cause of death not known

A male deer died in the Musk Deer Research Centre in Mahrudhi Dharamghar in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district on September 21. This is the fifth deer that died in 20 days at the centre. The forest department had sent the samples to IVRI for examination but since they have not received the reports yet, the cause of death could not be determined till now.

Bageshwar (Uttarakhand):One more male deer was found dead in the Musk Deer Research Centre in Mahrudhi Dharamghar in Bageshwar, taking the death toll to five in 20 days. The forest department is yet to ascertain the actual cause of death.

The frequent incidents of death has left the officials of the state forest department worried. The samples of the four deer that died earlier were sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Bareilly but the investigation reports have not reached the centre yet. As a result of which, the cause of death could not be ascertained, officials said.

The first deer death in the Musk Deer Research Centre was recorded on September 3. On September 11, the second deer died and on September 13, two more died. Among the four deer that died this month, one was male and three females. The fifth deer death was recorded on September 21. The deer, which initially had a swelling round its knees, got a stomach upset and died after suffering from diarrhea for a few days, officials said.

After the four deaths, district magistrate Anuradha Pal inquired about it from chief veterinary officer Dr. Kamal Pant. A team of doctors were immediately sent to the Musk Deer Research Centre for a thorough investigation.

During investigation, the medical team diagnosed that a male deer was sick. It is this deer that died a few days after inspection. At present, there are 12 musk deer at the centre. Of these, six are male and six female.

Achintya Mitra, assistant director of Regional Ayurveda Research Institute in Ranikhet, said that whenever a deer dies at the Musk Deer Research Center, the samples are sent to IVRI. The actual reason for the death of the deer will be known only after getting the report, Mitra said.