ISLAMABAD: Six animals and birds died in the Marghazar Zoo during January, which has led to the suspension of four zoo attendants and the issuing of a show cause notice to Deputy Director Zoo, Dr Bilal Khilji.

The animals and birds which died in the zoo last month include two nilgais, two ducks, a pheasant and a parrot.

`We received an order for the suspensions on Monday and I am investigating the matter,` said an official of the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI), who was deputed at the zoo.

When asked, Chief Metropolitan Officer Asad Mehboob Kayani said an inquiry will be made into the deaths while Director Zoo Mohammad Irshad, who came back after a month-long leave on Monday, said he was told of the deaths the day he joined work again. He said the two nailgais had died in a fight between them. An official of the MCI said the 27 nilgais in the zoo often get into fights.

The Marghazar Zoo was opened in 1978 and is home to over 800 birds and over 40 species of around 100 animals. It has been criticised for the conditions under which the animals and birds are kept. The zoo faced neglect when it was under the control of the Capital Development Authority and also since it was handed over to the MCI last year. The corporation had claimed it will bring improvements to the facility, but not much has been done in this regard.

Eight animals had died at the zoo last year including a zebra, two ostriches, two urials, a barking deer and a wolf, with zoo officials claiming all the deaths were `natural` In November, Rani the lioness had given birth to two still born cubs with some officials saying that the cubs were stillborn because Rani was not given proper care while others said the cubs may have die d shortly after birth due to the cold.

Zoo officials, on the other hand said they had a video of Rani giving birth which proves the cubs were stillborn.

The conditions under which Kavaan, the lone elephant, is kept invited criticism from across the world. The elephant only has a shabby, three-walled structure to live in, and has been alone since his partner, Saheli, died.

`The death of six animals and birds in a month is alarming. What is going on here,` asked a zoo official. He said an inquiry should be held into whether there was a link between zoo staff and officials of the laboratory where the autopsies are carried out.

He said all the deaths are declared natural when the animais and birds are not given proper care.