Tiger Hunts Deer At Nandankanan Zoo, Dramatic Encounter Captured On Camera
Nandankanan authorities, however, said there had been no violation of zoo regulations or guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
Bhubaneswar: A rare predator-prey encounter unfolded at Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoological Park when a tiger was caught on camera hunting and feeding on a deer inside the zoo’s tiger safari, leaving visitors stunned.
The incident reportedly took place on August 8, when tourists watching the tiger safari witnessed the big cat chase and attack a deer before feeding on it. Some visitors recorded the dramatic sequence on their mobile phones, and the footage has since drawn attention.
The incident raised questions about how a deer could enter an enclosure housing a tiger, particularly as zoo animals are generally provided food under controlled conditions and predators are kept separated from potential prey.
Nandankanan authorities, however, said there had been no violation of zoo regulations or guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
According to the Deputy Director of Nandankanan Zoological Park, Pradeep Mirase, the incident needs to be viewed in the context of the zoo’s location within the Chandaka wildlife landscape.
The official clarified that Nandankanan does not deliberately feed live animals to its tigers. Deer and other wildlife are also found in the surrounding sanctuary, and the tiger may have encountered the animal after it strayed into the safari area.
The authorities maintained that the incident was a natural predator-prey interaction and not a case of the zoo feeding a live animal to a tiger.
They also sought to allay concerns among visitors, saying there was no threat to tourists from the incident.
Nandankanan, located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar and surrounded by a larger forested landscape, presents a distinctive interface between a zoological park and the natural habitat around it. The incident has nevertheless prompted curiosity among wildlife enthusiasts over the management of wild animals moving between the zoo environment and the surrounding sanctuary.
