new delhi a spate of deaths have hit the delhi zoo over the past three days with four animals dying while a female bengal tiger is also said to be ill and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment officials saidthe animals that died during the last three days include a nilgai a black buck a python and a pregnant gaur zoo officials however confirmed that the animals all died due to natural causes while the royal bengal tiger priya has been shifted back to its enclosure after treatmentthe tiger is around 24yearsold now and illnesses due to old age are quite common the animal was being treated at the zoo hospital but was shifted back to its enclosure when it got better said a zoo officialofficials said that the python died due to old age while the blackbuck was a stillborn that may have been due to inbreeding the nilgai is said to have died due to injuries it sustained while fightingwe keep exchanging animals so that inbreeding between the species is reduced chances of stillborns increase if inbreeding takes place said an official authorities also said the gaur became ill soon after becoming pregnant and despite treatment it did not recoverthe zoo had recorded 325 animal deaths in 201617 sanitation and general cleanliness has improved over the last year extra precautions are being taken and the death count is very low this year said an official