Five deer die after eating uncooked rice
At a deer park in Maasland, investigations point to rice in the feeding trough as the suspected cause.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
Five deer died at Hertenkamp Maasland last week. According to the foundation that runs the park, investigations indicate that the animals ate uncooked rice that was presumably left in a feeding trough by a visitor.
According to the foundation, the deaths were unexpected and occurred at intervals during the week of 5 October. Initially, it was unclear what had made the animals ill. The volunteers considered a virus, but that explanation was not supported by the initial findings, according to the foundation.
In consultation with veterinarians, the Health Service and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) were called in. During post-mortem examinations of the last two deer to die, a large quantity of rice was found in their stomachs, according to the foundation. The foundation concludes from this that the uncooked rice expanded due to moisture and caused the deaths.
That conclusion has been attributed in public reporting to the deer park and the investigations involved. No separate public report from the NVWA or the Health Service is available. It is therefore not possible to establish exactly how much rice there was or which medical mechanisms played a role in each animal.
The foundation suspects that the rice was put in the feeding trough on Saturday 3 October. It is not known who did so. The public sources consulted contain no report of an arrest or an established motive. It therefore also remains unclear whether this was a deliberate act or the result of ignorance.
According to the deer park, the loss particularly affects the volunteers who care for the animals every day. The investigation also entails costs. The foundation has called on visitors not to put their own food in the enclosures or feeding troughs.
Deer parks generally decide for themselves which feed is suitable and how visitors may feed the animals. In Maasland, that distinction has once again come under scrutiny: according to the managers, well-intentioned feeding can pose risks when animals are given food that is not appropriate for their care. The sources consulted contain no separate statement on the condition of the remaining animals.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core facts are reported by NOS and Rodi and are cautiously worded. The unconfirmed elements are explicitly presented as suspicions or as unavailable public information.
- confirmed Five deer died in Maasland last week. — Reported by NOS and Rodi. source
- confirmed Rice was found in the stomachs of two animals during post-mortem examinations. — Reported by NOS and Rodi on the basis of the foundation. source
- confirmed The foundation suspects that the rice was put in the feeding trough on 3 October. — The date and wording as a suspicion appear in Rodi's reporting. source
- confirmed The precise cause of death and the person responsible have not been independently established in public. — The public sources attribute the conclusion to the foundation and name no person responsible. source
Editor's note
It is certain that five deer died and that rice was found during post-mortem examinations of two animals. The precise cause of death, the quantity of rice and the identity or intention of the person who left the rice have not been independently established in public.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „maasland herten”
- NOS — „maasland herten”
- Het Parool — „maasland herten”