Bezoar in a Spotted Deer (Axis axis)

Blood smear examination did not reveal any organism of pathological significance. On necropsy, the rumen and reticulum were moderately impacted and among the contents was found a bezoar with knotted appearance (Fig. 1). It was 40 cm. in length and 400 g. in weight. The bezoar consisted of several entangled polythene bags, ingesta and mineral deposits. The omasum and abomasum contained moderately digested ingesta. Intestines showed mild enteritis. Other postmortem findings included hydrothorax, pulmonary edema, ecchymosis on epicardium and a focal necrotic calcified lesion on the parietal surface of the liver. Presence of foreign bodies in the fore stomach of deer is not uncommon (Rao & Acharyjo, 1995). Sharma and Chauhan (1997) reported the occurrence of phytobezoar in the reticulum of a Barking Deer in Nainital Zoo. The polythene bags left over by the visitors to the zoo was postulated to be the source of the bezoar. The occurrence of bezoar in the present case may be due to the fact that the animal had access to unwanted materials in the hotel premises.