COVID-19 effect: Deaths at Delhi Zoo fall to three-year low
The Delhi Zoo recorded 125 animal deaths in 2020-21, the lowest in the last three years. The zoo reopened to the public on Thursday after remaining shut for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and bird flu. Zoo Director Ramesh Pandey said, "The mortality rate for last financial year ending Wednesday hovered around 10 percent, which is the lowest since 2017-18."
The zoo has 1,160 animals at present
"There are around 1,160 animals in the zoo at present. The final inventory report will be ready by mid-April," Pandey said. "The number of animal deaths in the financial year 2020-21 is significantly less than last year and it can be attributed to better monitoring and consistent efforts of the staff," Pandey added.
Deaths could have been much lower
"The quarterly data is almost identical and there are no fluctuations, which indicate that no adverse event took place," Pandey said. He said that the number of deaths could have been less had there been no case of bird flu.
First bird flu case from zoo was reported January 15
The first case of bird flu was reported from the zoo on January 15, when a sample from a brown fish owl that was found dead in its enclosure tested positive. Seven more samples from the zoo premises also tested positive over the next few weeks. The zoo lost two tigresses, a tiger, and two cubs in the last one year.
Mortality rate in 2019-2020 was 17%, 2018-2019 was 15%
The zoo added one Bengal tigress to the family in November last year and plans to bring in three more tigers from Chennai and Nagpur for breeding purposes. According to official data, 172 animals died in zoos in 2019-20 and the mortality rate was more than 17 percent. In 2018-19, the facility lost 188 animals and the mortality rate stood at around 15 percent.
1,645 people visited the zoo on Thursday
According to Pandey, 1,645 people visited the zoo on Thursday. "We did not expect more than a hundred people, but the response has been excellent," he said. Visitors reported minor hiccups in making online payments for tickets on the first day. Notably, the visitors are required to buy a ticket online on the zoo's website or at the entry gates using the QR codes.
