9 zebras die mysteriously at Gazipur Safari Park

As many as nine zebras, born inside the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur, have mysteriously died in the past three weeks.

According to sources, the zebras died within the span of just 20 days. The exact cause of their deaths is yet to be ascertained.

On 2 January, the dead bodies of six zebras were found lying on the park premises. More three died by Monday.

An emergency meeting was called by the Forest Department yesterday to discuss the issue, said Jahidul Kabir, project director of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, to The Business Standard.

He said the park authorities are investigating whether the zebras were killed out of enmity, or they died of any bacterial infection caused by food poisoning or some other disease.

"Their autopsy reports and samples were sent to various laboratories, including Bangladesh Agricultural University and Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), to get to the bottom of this.

"Some of the test results have already arrived," Jahidul Kabir said but did not disclose the findings.

An employee of the park, seeking anonymity, said they were instructed not to disclose the matter to anyone following the development.

Earlier on Saturday, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Mostafa Kamal and Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury visited the park after being notified about the dead zebras.