Colombo: Around 25 deer that live in Homagama, a suburb of Sri Lankan capital Colombo, have died from rabies, the Wildlife Department said on Monday. The department asked residents of the area not to hand feed the deer as rabies can spread from saliva.
Locals found the dead deer in recent weeks. The body parts were sent for examination by Colombo Health and Medical Division, which has confirmed that the animals were infected with rabies.
The department said that in the past few decades, herds of deer have made the small bush and jungle areas in Colombo suburbs their home. People have made a habit of feeding them food and treating them as semi-domesticated animals, the department said.
