Study on brow antlered deer at Delhi zoo

New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) A study on conservation, breedingand management of brow antlered deer in captivity is beingundertaken at the Delhi zoo, which is home to the maximumnumber of the animal among zoological parks in the country. Pratyansha Singh, a PhD student, who is conducting thestudy on the endangered deer species, said the NationalZoological Park was the best research field as it housesaround 50 brow antlered deer and runs a successful breedingprogramme. "The study looks at the behaviour, population, health andfood habits of brow antlered deer in captive conservation.Delhi zoo serves as the apt place of research as the park aimsat conservation, education and research apart fromrecreation," she told PTI. Riyaz Khan, zoo curator, said the first pair of the"rare, endemic and endangered" deer species was introduced inthe zoo in 1962 by the country’s first Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru. "Thanks to a successful breeding programme, Delhi zoo hasdistributed many pairs of brow antlered deer to zoos inAhmedabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Junagadh and Mysore,"he said. The 26-year-old PhD student from University School ofEnvironment Management, IP University said the deer speciesexhibits "vigilant behaviour" when they are surrounded byvisitors. "The behavioural pattern of animals changes when they aretaken out of their natural habitat. Brow antlered deer areextremely shy animals. They become alert and vigilant whensurrounded by onlookers," she said. Talking about the mortality rate among the deer, alsoManipur’s state animal, Singh said stress is a major factorthat contributes to their death. "These animals also undergo a lot of stress. Tests aredone to check the level of glucocorticoid hormones in theanimals to gauge the stress level. Fighting among the dominantbrow antlered male deer to get the attention of their matingpartners, can also lead to fatal injuries. Apart from these,still birth and age factor also contribute to their death,"she said. More PTI SRY SKAAR