Deer pose a problem of plenty for zoo authorities
Officials await nod to release surplus deer in the wild
RANCHI: The rising deer population in Jharkhand zoos has posed a challenge to the authorities who find it difficult to find space for them. Despite requests, the officials have not got permission from the forest department to release the surplus deer in the wild.
Offials at Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, known as Ranchi zoo, have segregated male and female deer to control births. “But male deer jump the fence (around 6-foot-high) to reach out to their female counterparts many a time,” Ranchi zoo director AK Patra told Hindustan Times on Monday.
Ranchi zoo houses nearly 139 spotted deer against the capacity of 60. The sambar population has reached the enclosure capacity of 30.
“We had written to the forest department to allow the release of surplus deer in the Palamu Tiger Reserve to extend the prey base for big cats. Permission is still awaited,” Patra said.
Wildlife experts say the declining prey base is a major reason for the f all in tiger count at the Palamu reserve. Jharkhand had 10 big cats in 2010 but the number dwindled to three at the reserve, accord- ing to the 2014 tiger census. Tata Steel Zoological Park, called Tata Zoo, also faces space crunch for its barking deer as their population has exceeded the enclosure capacity. Zoo authorities have been requesting the forest department since July 2013 to allow them to release the surplus deer at the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary (DWS), Jamshedpur. “Permission is still awaited,” said Vipul Chakraborty, director of Tata Zoo which houses 21 barking deer against the enclosure capacity of 15.
“With an aim to increase the population of barking deer in the wild of DWS, zoo officials did not adopt any birth control measure. Now it is causing a space crunch,” Chakraborty said.
“We are aware of the situation. But we have to keep in mind several technical aspects before releasing them in the wild,” said principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Pradeep Kumar. “Zoo deer grow up in humanfriendly environment. So we have to think of their survival in the wild.”
The shifting of the deer is not easy, Kumar said. “Chance of casualty increases if they are transported more than 50 kms.”
He said they have sought experts’ advice for safer shifting of the surplus deer to the enclosures of Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary.