Two chinkara at Delhi zoo fight for dominance, 1 dies

Infighting between two chinkara (Gazella bennettii) at the Delhi zoo led to the death of one, zoo officials aware of the matter said on Monday.

The patrolling staff spotted the wounded animal at around 7am on Sunday and rushed it to the veterinary hospital of the zoo. However, it succumbed to its injuries, including multiple puncture wounds. Infighting is common to several species to assert dominance over the herd, they added.

Following the death of the animal, the Delhi zoo is now left with eight chinkara.

“Infighting among antelopes is common, but in this case, it may have continued for over an hour, with one of the chinkara suffering significant puncture wounds. When the animal was discovered at around 7 am, it was bleeding profusely and its intestines had also come out,” said a zoo official on condition of anonymity.

Chinkara, which is also known as the Indian gazelle, is widely found in Rajasthan, along with eight other states, which includes Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The animal has long horns that can grow up to 40 cm in length.

The official alleged that the incident took place weeks after the zoo administration removed staff from night duty from some enclosures, including the antelope enclosure, where the infighting occurred. “Had there been night-time security and patrolling outside every enclosure, the zoo staff could have alerted others and prevented the incident. The animal may also have been shifted to the veterinary hospital faster,” the official added.

Delhi zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said, “The incident took place in the early hours of the day and all veterinary care was taken after it came to the notice of the keeper. More intensive monitoring and coverage through CCTVs in the animal area are being planned, so that we can respond to emergency situations quicker,” said Kumar, adding that deployment of staff at night-time depends on the species and condition of the animal.

The Delhi zoo at present has 97 different animal species, including chinkara. The zoo had no chinkara in the years 2019 and 2020, and these were introduced back in 2021 as part of an animal exchange programme.

“Following the death of the chinkara, we now have eight animals, three of which are males. Among chinkara, infighting usually occurs among males as a show of dominance, particularly when one of them is trying to replace the other male to become the head of the herd,” said the official, adding that the zoo has had successful chinkara births in 2022, 2023 and most recently on May 29.