The deaths of 16 spotted deer at the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj have been officially linked to foot-and-mouth disease, according to a forensic examination report. Zoo officials said the condition of the remaining affected animals is improving. The zoo houses more than 100 deer. Around 15 days ago, one or two deer began dying each day over a week-long period. In total, 16 spotted deer died. The unusually high number of deaths prompted the zoo administration to conduct postmortem examinations. These were carried out by the Krantisinh Nana Patil Veterinary Centre along with experts from the Maharashtra government.
To identify the exact cause, biological samples were collected from the deceased animals and sent to the National Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre in Bhubaneswar, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly, the Wildlife Research and Training Centre in Nagpur, and the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal.
Reports from Bhubaneswar and the National Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre confirmed the presence of the viral infection in the animals.
Following the confirmation, the zoo’s Wildlife Health Advisory Committee held a meeting on Friday, July 25, to plan further action. Attendees included Dr. Vikas Vaskar, associate dean of Krantisinh Nana Patil Veterinary College, Dr. Vishwasrao Salunkhe from the surgery department, Dr. Chandrashekhar Mote from pathology, Dr. Prashant Pawar from parasitology, Dr. Ambore from pharmacology, Dr. Dushyant Muglikar from microbiology, and Dr. G. M. Hulsure, joint commissioner of animal husbandry.
Officials explained that foot-and-mouth disease reduces immunity in animals and raises their stress levels, which can lead to death. However, timely response measures helped prevent further fatalities.
Zoo officials confirmed that the situation is currently under control and the health of the affected animals is steadily improving.