Guwahati: Guwahati residents were in for a surprise on Friday morning when a Sambar deer — classified as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List — was spotted wandering along the busy RG Baruah Road, videos and photos of which quickly went viral on social media, delighting and raising concerns in equal measure among residents and wildlife activists.Assam state zoo divisional forest officer (DFO) Ashwini Kumar said, “The deer is believed to have strayed from the Hengrabari reserve forest. Even though these animals are open species, and keep roaming near the reserve forest area, but straying onto the road in broad daylight has happened for the first time.”
While two days have passed, the forest officials are yet to locate the animal.Kumar said a search and rescue operation had been initiated to locate the deer and return it to its natural habitat. “Our teams, along with the Kamrup east forest division, are trying to locate the animal to ensure a safe return. The priority is to avoid causing stress to the animal, as well as to prevent any risk to the public,” Kumar said.Meanwhile, another official from the state zoo, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such incidents had been happening for a long time. He added that these animals were commonly spotted in Gitanagar, Japorigog, and other areas which are located close to the reserve forest. “Despite the zoo being in close proximity to the reserve forest, there is a clear boundary wall that separates the two,” the official said.While the deer’s videos have gone viral, previously, too, there have instances of people filming themselves feeding stray deer.Nilutpal Mahanta, an ornithologist and a wildlife conservation activist said, “These incidents raise serious concerns about the well-being of the animals as they are increasingly entering urban areas due to rapid encroachment of their natural habitats. In search of food, they are venturing into human settlements and, surprisingly, do not appear to fear people. They consume whatever is offered to them, which is gradually altering their natural behaviour. Wild animals that are meant to survive independently are becoming dependent on humans for food. This dependency is harmful not only because it disrupts their natural instincts, but also because it puts them at greater risk. Proximity to humans increases chances of conflict.”Mahanata added that the forest department should take immediate steps to relocate the deer to a safe area, away from human settlements.
