Hyderabad: Damagundam Preparatory Forest in the Vikalabad region quickly became a killing ground for the Chital or Spotted Deer in Telangana State Animal. At least six Chitals have been killed in the Damagudan Forest over the past week, all of which have fallen into the attack of a group of stray dogs.
Some of these deer seek asylum in the famous Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple in the forest, trying to escape the dog, were also killed. “People come to the temple to offer prayers. But the deer comes to this temple and dies.” A troubled Seepananda Swami, popular with Damagundam Swami, runs an ashram near the temple.
On Saturday, the body of the C Chittal stag was found in the temple’s gundam or tank, while another deer took refuge in the same body of water.
“We have been here to inform the forest department about the deer and they came to take away the injured animals. They did nothing,” he said.
Not only the national animal strange, even the four-horned antelope that is often killed by stray dogs in the forests of Damagudan, is also a species I under the schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act and is listed as vulnerable by IUCN in its red data book, often killed by dogs in the area.
This attack on forest deer was not a thing a week ago. Deccan Chronicle highlighted the dangers of forests to deer in the region in its report “Vikalabad Forests are not safe for national animals” as early as 2022.
When contacted, forest department officials said the work of controlling stray dogs did not fall within their work, but instead allowed local bodies to inspect them. “Even then, if dogs are caught by law, all anyone can do is sterilize them and keep them back. There is nothing the forest department can do.”
“We see deer chased by dogs every day. This has become more and more after the Navy project cleared large forest areas. As the number of dogs has increased, as many people have begun to stay around the workers involved in the project. No one seems to be caring for.”
“One should explain why deer living in cities like Hyderabad receives special protection, such as at the University of Hyderabad, where dogs are caught after orders from the Supreme Court and why deer living in the forest are killed by stray dogs every day,” Damagundam Swami asked.
