Siliguri (West Bengal): Many of the blackbuck deer that were brought to Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri from Tata Memorial Zoological Park in Jamshedpur are suffering from tuberculosis.
Twelve blackbucks and four hog deer were brought in from Jamshedpur zoo in February. They were kept in the isolation enclosures under observation for a month at Bengal Safari Park.
Also, four workers of the park have reportedly contracted the disease and are currently undergoing treatment. They have been sent on a 14-day leave along with medical assistance.
The park authorities are probing as to how the blackbucks got infected with tuberculosis in just four months after being transported here. To prevent the disease from getting transmitted, the blackbucks have been removed from enclosures and kept in complete isolation.
The health check-up of the blackbucks was conducted last week. Samples of four of the animals were sent to the Department of Livestock Development's laboratory in Kolkata. Out of which, two samples were tested positive for tuberculosis on Saturday. The treatment of the infected blackbucks has already been started, park officials said.
Members of the animal lovers' organisations alleged that the infection was caused due to the negligence of the park authorities. Notably, for several months, there are no biologists in the Bengal Safari Park after one resigned for personal reasons a month back. Questions have been raised as to how the Bengal Safari Park is operating without a biologist.
"I have asked the park officials and the member secretary to start treatment of the blackbucks as soon as possible. If necessary, the animals can be shifted elsewhere," state forest minister Jyotipriya Mallick told ETV Bharat.
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Saurav Chowdhury, member secretary of the state Zoo Authority said, "There is nothing to worry. This disease can be cured easily. Their treatment has been started. The disease often transmits from humans to animals or vice versa. So, health check-up is being conducted for the zoo keepers. Even though there are no biologists, we have four research scholars at the park."
