M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, May 27: Jharkhand principal chief conservator of forest (wild life) Shashikar Samanta has said that the death of a couple of deer by feral dogs is a ‘sheer coincidence’ and ‘should not be seen as any upswing to attack on deer by feral dogs’.
“I did read that dogs have killed deer. These incidents were in quick succession. I believe it’s a sheer coincidence,” he told this correspondent.
On being asked that feral dogs have their good time in the Betla National Park where it mauled a deer to death right in the park, Samanta said “We have tried to stop the passage of the feral dogs in the Betla National Park. Our officers got built a 600 meter long and six feet high concrete wall across the Betla National Park on the side of the State Highway 9 just to keep the village dogs at bay from entering the Betla National Park.”
“This protective wall was made a wall of controversies by so called wild life enthusiasts. They termed this wall as a wasteful expenditure. They never realised that this wall was a necessity for the wild life as dogs across the State Highway 9, on this part, used to intrude into the Betla National Park day and night.”
On being asked about deer straying into human habitation Samanta said “This straying of the deer is always in singles. It is not even in pair. There is no mass straying of deer in to the human habitation.”
“I believe every summer there happens such straying of deer. It is definitely for water,” conceded the PCCF wild life.
There is no proper and adequate treatment post attack or injury to wild life here in the PTR or elsewhere in the forests of Jharkhand, Samanta said, “We are to lean on the touring veterinary officer / block animal husbandry officer for treating our wild life in distress or in jeopardy of life.”
“We are trying to have our line of veterinary doctors and one wild animal hospital too. We believe we will have it,” hoped the PCCF (wild life).
