Bhubaneswar, Feb. 9: A spotted deer panicked at the sight of an unknown person in its enclosure, crashed into the railings and died on the spot in Orissa’s Nandankanan park where volunteers have been standing in for 130 striking ground staff.

The workers, who went on strike yesterday demanding permanent jobs and other benefits but have been agitating for months, claimed today’s death was the sixth over the past week since zoo authorities hired volunteers to feed the animals.

“As many as five animals have died since last week and the zoo authorities are responsible,” said Ramakant Nayak, the general secretary of the Nandankanan Pragatisheel Shramik Sangh under which the striking casual workers have banded together.

Nayak said a deer, a black buck, a jaguar, a cheetah and a Royal Bengal Tiger had died over the past week. “The animals are like our children and it pains us to hear they are being mishandled by unknown men leading to their death.... No unknown people should be allowed to feed the animals in our absence.”

Zoo authorities, who have hired 34 trainers from the forest guard training school, confirmed the death of the deer but said it died “after a duel” with another deer. “It had nothing to do with the presence of a stranger...” director Ajit Pattnaik said.