KARACHI: The latest arrival in the chital herd at the Safari Park is just five days old now. Being the youngest amongst 60 adult deer, the little fawn presents a very positive picture of what could be seen as a thriving herd at the facility.

Hidden from visitors, however, are the challenges Safari staff face every day.

“We face multiple challenges; one of which is their management [which is] becoming increasingly difficult as their number is growing. They have been housed in the same enclosure since the 1990s when a group of chital was brought here along with black bucks, mouflon, red and white deer and nilgai,” explained Dr Kazim Hussain, the only veterinary doctor at the Safari Park housing a large number of ungulates.

Most animals arrived at the Safari during more or less the same period. There have been few inductions since then. The facility currently houses 25 male and around 23 female chital against the recommended ratio of one male for three females or one male for five females.

This imbalance in male-female ratio, according to the staff, is also affecting breeding. The same is the case with black bucks whose number has also grown to 60.

“Though chital is less aggressive than other deer species, for instance, white deer and fallow deer, their increasing number at the Safari is increasingly leading to mutual fights.

“They have no specific breeding season. Many of them mate at the same time, reducing chances of successful conception,” said Dr Hussain.

According to him, the facility desperately needs fresh blood through an animal exchange or induction of new animals to counter negative impacts of inbreeding, for instance, high mortality in young ones, reduced birth, vulnerability to diseases and deformities.

Responding to a question whether excess deer species raised in captivity could be released and survive in protected areas, he replied in the affirmative.

“Indeed, though we have to carefully monitor their progress in the wild. One such place could be the Kirthar National Park where ibex and urial species are already thriving,” he said.

On chital’s habitat, he said that the species (also called axis deer or spotted deer) was native in the Indian subcontinent.

“The meat of this deer species is said to be much better than any other. This is a prime reason why many people target this particular species,” he said, adding that the species didn’t exist in Pakistan in the wild anymore.

According to sources, while the provincial government is carrying out different recreational projects in Safari Park, animals continue to remain neglected.

No step has ever been taken for their rehabilitation.

They also said that there had never been an initiative to release or raise rehabilitated species in the wild.

“We haven’t received a single penny for repair, maintenance or animal rehabilitation for the past few years, directly affecting animal well-being,” an official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the provincial government believed that running the facility was Karachi Metropolitan Cor­poration’s responsibility.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2018