Spotted deer population dips

Chennai: Walls make the lives of spotted deer in Chennai secure and vulnerable at the same time. There are 13 places where deer are protected by compound walls and live in harmony, said a wildlife official.

About 794 deer reside in protected environments like the Guindy national park, Anna University, King Institute, Madras Christian College and Raj Bhavan, the forest department officials.

But, add the forest department sources, around 323 deer roam in 23 public places, including Tambaram railway station, Madhya Kailash and Ekattuthangal. “Such deer are vulnerable to accidents,” they admit. They do not have provisions to protect the habitat of these animals as they fall outside reserve forest limits.

So, walls are safe for deer? Madras Naturalists Society president K.V. Sudhakar opines, “Chennai was blessed with the Guindy national park, but due to some administrative procedures, the IIT built a compound wall and Guru Nanak college also cordoned off its campus, thus breaking the GNP into parts.”

As new buildings have come up in areas like IIT, Ekattuthangal and Tambaram, reducing the feeding areas of spotted deer, it forces them to stray further, leading to fatal accidents, adds Mr Sudhakar.

There have been many instances in the recent past where deer have died when they jumped across residential gates, slipped into open drains or have been hit by speeding trains or vehicles, rued a field official.

However, there are also successful rescue cases. Recently, four spotted deers were rescued from Adambakkam, Nanganallur and Velachery and referred to the Vandalur zoo.

The moot point is that the population of spotted deer is dwindling in Chennai as their feeding grounds and open grasslands are being converted into buildings and plots.

The forest department and green activists are keeping their fingers crossed as urbanisation eats into the traditional feeding grounds of these animals.