In a major security lapse, a pack of stray dogs entered the newly inaugurated Puthur Zoological Park in Thrissur on Tuesday and killed 10 deer. The attack occurred inside a specially designed enclosure meant to replicate the animals’ natural habitat.

A team led by Dr Arun Zacharia has arrived at the zoo to conduct an inspection and inquiry into the incident. Officials said the exact cause of death would be confirmed only after a detailed post-mortem examination of the carcasses.

When contacted, Zoo Director Nagaraj declined to comment on the matter. The Puthur Zoological Park, which recently began advance registration for visitors, currently allows entry only for school and college students. The date for public admission will be announced later.

Spread over 336 acres, the Thrissur Zoological Park at Puthur is considered the second-largest in Asia and India’s first “designer zoo”. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the facility on October 28.

The park has the capacity to accommodate 534 animals belonging to 80 species, distributed across 23 naturalistic enclosures designed to allow free movement. The 439 animals from the existing Thrissur Zoo are being relocated gradually to the new facility.