25 deer die of rabies in Colombo suburb

COLOMBO: Around 25 deer that live in Homagama, a suburb of Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo, have died of rabies, the wildlife department announced on Monday.

The department asked residents of the area not to hand feed deer as rabies can spread from saliva, reports Xinhua news agency.

The department said local residents have found dead deer in recent weeks.

The bodies 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 the Colombo suburb their home.

People have made a habit of feeding them food and treat them as semi-domesticated animals, it added.