More than 30 animals have died in the Peshawar Zoo since it was inaugurated by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in February 2018, an investigation report unearthed on Thursday.

An investigation committee headed by Additional Secretary Higher Education Kabir Afridi compiled a report probing why the zoo has witnessed so many deaths within three months of its inauguration.

The report, which has been sent to the KP government, says that more than 30 species of bird and a Nilgai have died in the zoo — all of which died due to respiratory illnesses.

The zoo, KP's only such establishment, does not have a laboratory for even the routine illnesses of animals, while the veterinarian and other staff are not properly trained, the report observed.

The probe found that a deer had died after suffering a severe head injury from its cage, whereas a monkey succumbed to its injuries after being maimed by a wolf, having trespassed into the latter's cage.

However, the death of a snow leopard was ascertained to be of natural causes as it had suffered a heart attack.

Investigation committee member Mohammad Mumtaz Malik remarked that cases of animal deaths occur at zoos throughout the world.

However, he also made several recommendations in the report, such as training the zoo's medical staff properly and growing of grass inside the animals' cages.

Malik further suggested that the visiting crowd should also be educated and told not to stone or tease the animals.