<p>The Delhi zoo recorded 125 animal deaths in 2020-21, the lowest in the last three years, officials said here.</p>.<p>The zoo reopened to the public on Thursday after remaining shut for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and bird flu.</p>.<p>Zoo Director Ramesh Pandey said the mortality rate for the last financial year ending Wednesday "hovered around 10 per cent", which is the lowest since 2017-18.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/delhi-zoo-to-bring-3-more-tigers-for-breeding-purposes-ostrich-chinkara-to-be-added-967525.html" target="_blank">Delhi zoo to bring 3 more tigers for breeding purposes; ostrich, chinkara to be added</a></strong></p>.<p>There are around 1,160 animals in the zoo at present. The final inventory report will be ready by mid-April, he told <em>PTI</em>.</p>.<p>The number of animal deaths in the financial year 2020-21 is "significantly less than last year" and it can be attributed to better monitoring and consistent efforts of the staff, Pandey said.</p>.<p>"The quarterly data is almost identical and there are no fluctuations, which indicates that no 'adverse event' took place," he said.</p>.<p>Pandey said the number of deaths could have been less had there been no case of bird flu.</p>.<p>The first case of bird flu was reported from the zoo on January 15, when a sample from a brown fish owl that was found dead in its enclosure tested positive.</p>.<p>Seven more samples from the zoo premises also tested positive over the next few weeks.</p>.<p>The zoo lost two tigress, a tiger and two cubs in the last one year.</p>.<p>It, however, added one Bengal tigress to the family in November last year and plans to bring in three more tigers from Chennai and Nagpur for breeding purposes.</p>.<p>According to official data, 172 animals died in the zoo in 2019-20 and the mortality rate was more than 17 per cent.</p>.<p>In 2018-19, the facility lost 188 animals and the mortality rate stood at around 15 per cent.</p>.<p>According to Pandey, 1,645 people visited the zoo on Thursday.</p>.<p>"We did not expect more than a hundred people (due to the pandemic), but the response has been excellent," he said.</p>.<p>Visitors reported minor hiccups in making online payments for tickets on the first day. </p>.<p>The visitors are required to buy ticket online on the zoo's website or at the entry gates using the QR codes.</p>
<p>The Delhi zoo recorded 125 animal deaths in 2020-21, the lowest in the last three years, officials said here.</p>.<p>The zoo reopened to the public on Thursday after remaining shut for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and bird flu.</p>.<p>Zoo Director Ramesh Pandey said the mortality rate for the last financial year ending Wednesday "hovered around 10 per cent", which is the lowest since 2017-18.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/delhi-zoo-to-bring-3-more-tigers-for-breeding-purposes-ostrich-chinkara-to-be-added-967525.html" target="_blank">Delhi zoo to bring 3 more tigers for breeding purposes; ostrich, chinkara to be added</a></strong></p>.<p>There are around 1,160 animals in the zoo at present. The final inventory report will be ready by mid-April, he told <em>PTI</em>.</p>.<p>The number of animal deaths in the financial year 2020-21 is "significantly less than last year" and it can be attributed to better monitoring and consistent efforts of the staff, Pandey said.</p>.<p>"The quarterly data is almost identical and there are no fluctuations, which indicates that no 'adverse event' took place," he said.</p>.<p>Pandey said the number of deaths could have been less had there been no case of bird flu.</p>.<p>The first case of bird flu was reported from the zoo on January 15, when a sample from a brown fish owl that was found dead in its enclosure tested positive.</p>.<p>Seven more samples from the zoo premises also tested positive over the next few weeks.</p>.<p>The zoo lost two tigress, a tiger and two cubs in the last one year.</p>.<p>It, however, added one Bengal tigress to the family in November last year and plans to bring in three more tigers from Chennai and Nagpur for breeding purposes.</p>.<p>According to official data, 172 animals died in the zoo in 2019-20 and the mortality rate was more than 17 per cent.</p>.<p>In 2018-19, the facility lost 188 animals and the mortality rate stood at around 15 per cent.</p>.<p>According to Pandey, 1,645 people visited the zoo on Thursday.</p>.<p>"We did not expect more than a hundred people (due to the pandemic), but the response has been excellent," he said.</p>.<p>Visitors reported minor hiccups in making online payments for tickets on the first day. </p>.<p>The visitors are required to buy ticket online on the zoo's website or at the entry gates using the QR codes.</p>