Belagavi, 16 Nov

The death toll of blackbuck at the Kittur Rani Chennamma Mini Zoo rose to 29 on Sunday after another animal succumbed to a mysterious illness. The zoo has reported continuous fatalities since 13 November, when eight blackbucks died.

A team of experts from Bannerghatta Veterinary College, Bengaluru, visited the zoo on Sunday to conduct post-mortem examinations and identify the cause of the deaths. Officials suspect a possible contagious disease, though the exact reason is yet to be confirmed.

Zoo authorities said precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the illness from spreading to other animals. On Saturday alone, 20 blackbucks died, pushing the toll to 28 before Sunday’s additional fatality.

The sudden surge in deaths has heightened concerns about animal health and management practices at the mini zoo.