Berhampur:
Four spotted deer died at a park at Taptapani on the Ganjam-Gajapati border in Odisha during Cyclone Hudhud, officials said today.
The adult male deer died of shock when heavy rain with gale lashed the area on Sunday.
The carcasses were recovered from the park on October 13, a day after Hudhud passed through the state, Divisional Forest Officer (Paralakhemundi) R K Singh said.
"Most of the deer were above 20 years of age and might have died a natural death," he added.
Veterinary doctors of Dengaosta carried out the post-mortem. "The exact cause of death will be known only after we get the post-mortem report," Forest Range Officer (Chandragiri) F C Behera said.
At present, the park houses 158 deers of four species.
Among these are 120 spotted deer, three blackbucks, 32 sambars and three barking deer, said the range officer.
Three deer died in the park in cyclone Phailin, which hit Gopalpur coast on October 12, 2013. The deer park had also sustained heavy damage.
"There is no major damage to the park this time," he said.
The deer park at Bhanja Vihar was also unaffected.
Taptapani deer park is one of the tourist attractions in Ganjam district with 35,000 to 40,000 footfalls every year.