The antelopes died over the past week after a sewage pipe
became blocked following heavy monsoon rains and dirty water overflowed into
their enclosure, Press Trust of India news agency reported. Officials at New
Delhi's National Zoological Park said autopsies revealed intestinal infections,
which had been caused by drinking contaminated water.
Sewage water also entered the moat surrounding the rhino pen
and two rhinos drank sewage-tainted water and fell critically ill, the news
report said.
Efforts were ongoing to check the pipes and ensure sewage
water does not flow back into the zoo, Jairam Ramesh, federal environment
minister, said Wednesday.
Kartick Satyanarayan, a wildlife expert, said another wallowing
pool was created for the rhinos so they did not have to drink water from the
moat.
A team of veterinarians and wildlife experts was to visit
the zoo to investigate the deaths of the blackbucks. Nearly 100 antelopes
remain in the zoo.
The blackbuck, or Antilope cervicapra, is found mainly in
India, Nepal and Pakistan. The male blackbuck has distinctive long, twisted
horns.
