Two swamp deer that were recently brought to the Chitwan National Park (CNP) from Shuklaphanta National Park (SNP) have died of apparent heat and exhaustion due to long hours of travel in an enclosure.

Of the five female and two male swamp deer that were translocated to the CNP last week, two females died within days apart. 

Nurendra Aryal, the CNP assistant conservation officer, said the first deer, which had fallen ill enroute to Chitwan from Kanchanpur in the farwest region, died three days ago while the second died on Friday evening.

The government had a plan of introducing  25 SNP swamp deer to the CNP this year. 

The translocation programme has been postponed following the death of two swamp deer in Chitwan.

Bed Kumar Dhakal, the SNP chief conservation officer, said that the programme was halted for this season because they strongly suspect that heat was the main cause behind the death of the deer. The programme will likely resume in the winter, he added.