FIR lodged against Kanpur zoo watchman for blackbuck deaths

Police on Friday lodged an FIR against a suspended watchman of Kanpur zoo and others at Nawabganj police station with regard to the killing of 31 blackbuck by stray dogs on January 19.

Nawabganj station officer A K Singh said an FIR had been lodged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Wildlife Protection Act against watchman Sher Singh alias Shera on the complaint of Forest Ranger K K Mishra. Singh said the police had arrested Shera on Friday but he was released the same say as charges against him are bailable.

Shera, who was suspended following the incident, said he had complained to the then director of zoo several times about the broken boundary wall but the director did not take any action. He said the stray dogs had been entering the zoo freely for the last 15 days before they killed the blackbuck. He said earlier the dogs had killed at least seven spotted deer, which were buried by the zoo officials without conducting any post mortem.

The family of Shera and a group of students demonstrated at the zoo demanding action against officials for the death of blackbuck when Minister of State for Zoological Gardens Shiv Pratap Yadav visited the zoo. Yadav said action will be taken against all guilty officials.

Autopsy: Chital died of internal bleeding

The autopsy of the chital, whose carcass was exhumed on Thursday, revealed that the animal died of pain and internal bleeding. Zoo Director K Thomas said the team that conducted combing operations in the zoo area failed to recover any more carcasses that were buried without conducting autopsies.

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