Rangpur Amusement Park and Zoo is grappling with an excess of deer, leading to overcrowding, rising maintenance costs, and health concerns. Despite regulations allowing the sale of surplus animals, legal barriers have made transactions nearly impossible.
The zoo currently houses 62 deer in two enclosures, leaving them with limited space and food shortages. Two years ago, the authorities managed to sell three deer for 150,000 taka at the government-set price. Businessman Siraj Jamil from Chattogram’s Chawkbazar area purchased one male and two female deer. Since then, no further sales have been made.
A directive from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock revised the price of deer, reducing it from 70,000 to 50,000 taka per animal. The ministry permits the sale of surplus deer and peacocks, as both are relatively easy to maintain. However, buyers must purchase them in male-female pairs and obtain Forest Department approval through a no-objection certificate. These animals can only be fostered and cannot be smuggled or consumed.
While many visitors express interest in buying deer, legal hurdles prevent most from completing a purchase. Rangpur Zoo, one of the country's government-run facilities, houses 260 animals from 31 species, including tigers, lions, hippos, peacocks, pythons, emus, ostriches, monkeys, donkeys, and horses.
Zoo curator Dr. Ambar Ali Talukdar stated that 32 deer are sufficient for public display, with the surplus driving up maintenance costs. “Many people inquire about purchasing deer, but legal complications deter them,” he said, adding that no transactions have taken place since the last sale two years ago.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
