FIVE deer living in Peace Park died between November 10 and 13 from what park sources said were unnatural reasons. The cause of the animals' deaths will be determined after autopsies are concluded.

A story carried in the Shanghai Youth Daily said an insider reported that staff at the deer park continuously drew blood and cut their antlers, which are used in Chinese traditional medicine. As a result, most of the deer were not healthy and when the weather turned cold, they died.

But according the Oriental Morning Post, sources with the park said they believed medical problems were the cause of the deaths.

Deer in the park are given helminthic twice a year. On November 9, Zhu Changhua, the contractor of the deer park, bought the medicine at a vet station on Hutai Lu.

Two bags of medicine were fed to the deer with other feed. After a day, some deer were found to have a negative reaction to the medicine. They developed weak limbs and a bad appetite.

After treatment, four deer died on November 10 and 11. On November 13, another one died. All the deaths were adult deer from eight to nine years old. The average lifespan of a deer is 10 to 20 years.

Cai Zhengqing, manager of Peace Park, said it is the first time the deer park has used the medicine. He did not believe it was legitimate medication. Among the three bags of pills Zhu bought, one bag was found to be moldy.

Kang Qin, deputy president of Peace Park, said investment in the deer park is considerable because deer are a state-level protected animal. Caring for the deer used to cost the park over 100,000 yuan (US$12,100) every year.

Zhu signed a five-year contract with Peace Park to care for the deer two or three years ago. Zhu said the cost to raise the 46 deer is about 100,000 yuan. He did cut some pilose antlers and sold them to a medicine company, but he said the amount was insignificant.

The manager, Cai, denied the rumour that deer were dying because of blood-drawing. "I assure you that we don't drink wildlife blood. It is illegal," he said. He said every zoo will cut pilose antlers once every year to prevent the deer from injuring each other during rutting season.

(Star News)