A major security lapse was reported at Kerala's newly inaugurated Puthur Zoological Park in Thrissur, where at least 10 deer were killed by stray dogs. The incident has raised serious questions about the readiness and safety protocols at the zoo, which opened less than a month ago.
A team led by wildlife expert Dr Arun Zacharia reached the park on Tuesday to carry out an inspection and initiate a detailed inquiry.
Officials said the exact cause of death would be confirmed after post-mortem examinations are completed.
Zoo Director Nagaraj declined to comment when contacted.
The Puthur Zoological Park had recently opened advance registration for visitors. At present, entry is limited to school and college groups, with the public opening date yet to be announced.
Spread across 336 acres, the Thrissur Zoological Park at Puthur is billed as Asia's second-largest zoological park and India's first "designer zoo."
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the facility on October 28. The park is designed to accommodate 534 animals from 80 species in 23 open, naturalistic enclosures. Animals from the existing Thrissur Zoo are being shifted in phases to the new campus.
Despite repeated requests, authorities have refused to share the CCTV visuals related to the incident at the zoo.
Featured Video Of The Day
1 Dead, 5 Injured In Shooting Near Rave Attended By 3,500 In Switzerland
Nepal Floods LIVE Updates: Death Count Nears 800 As Rescue Ops Enter Day 6 Indian Woman Alleges Racist Harassment By Teenagers In UK, Police Step In Elderly Woman Fears Luggage Theft At Airport, Her Reason Wins Hearts Online PIB Flags Misleading Claims Over NEET PG Paper Leak In Jaipur Crane Catches Fire During Cargo Unloading At Mumbai Port, 2 Injured Case Against Rahul Gandhi Over Remarks On Uttarakhand 'Purification' Row Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.