Five deer die after eating uncooked rice in Maasland

Five deer died last week at a deer enclosure in Maasland, a village in the Dutch province of South Holland.

Volunteers believe someone put uncooked rice in a feed trough the weekend before.

The deer became ill in the days that followed.

At first, caregivers suspected a virus.

An examination of two of the dead deer found a large amount of rice in their stomachs.

The uncooked rice expanded inside them, and the deer died.

The deaths are a serious loss for the volunteers who care for the animals.