One more deer became victim of 'summer assault' in the Medininagar forest division of Palamu in the last two weeks. An adult horned male deer was mauled to death by the stray dogs at Jharna Khurd of the Pandu block in the forest range of Mohammadganj of the Medininagar forest division on Tuesday April 22.
Mohammadganj ranger Pramod Kumar said the deer had strayed into the human habitation in search of water where a pack of village dogs surrounded it and bit it to death.
The carcass of the deer was first brought into the range office where the post-mortem was conducted by the local veterinary doctor.
The carcass of the deer was buried with horns and hide intact.
Kumar said, "The burial of the deer was done right inside the ground of the range office to protect it from stealing the horns and the hide." A deer's hide has a high price value of its being a mat of religiosity.
During summers the herbivore hardly bears the stress of the non availability of water and strays into human habitation in search of water.
This straying is fraught with the dangers. First deer becoming a human captive. Two deer getting chased and mauled by the village dogs. Three deer nonchalantly fall into the well only to die in three of the ten such accidents.
Four, an injured deer or dog bitten deer hardly survives despite medication. Deer have lesser mechanics to overcome the oddities.
Again, although deer have an advantage of having larger legs than dogs, the speed of the deer and the stray dog gives an edge to the dog which outruns the deer easily.
Deer get shocked and panicked more before the belligerence of the stray dogs.
Further dogs attack deer when it is out of its territory.
Unfamiliarity of the territory renders deer more vulnerable to dogs' assault.
Last week under Paton block limits one male deer which again had strayed, was made captive by a few people who later killed the deer for meat.
Divisional forest officer of Medininagar forest division Satyam Kumar said forest team has arrested a person in this connection and has retrieved the residues of the hide and other things.
Satyam Kumar said the main culprit is at large but he will be caught soon.
Summer spells doom for wildlife all for the search of water.Around three dozen monkeys died in a well when they jumped into it to drink water under the Panki block limits in the year 2024.