Forest dept apathy­ kills six spotted deer

• Deaths occurred while they were being shifted
• Officials quietly buried the animals

Nellore: Six spotted deer of the Nelapattu bird sanctuary near the famous Pulicat Lake died on Tuesday night due to the alleged negligence of the Forest department officials while moving them to the Kutalamarri forest. The animals were brought from the Tirupati zoo and accommodated in a deer park.

While one deer died on the spot of the injuries caused by nails as they were sedated and shoved into a van, five other animals succumbed on the way to the forest. Another deer was left in the Seshachala forest by the officials. The officials tried to hide the deaths from getting exposed by burying the deer in the Nelapattu forest area. However, it came to light much the embarrassment to the department. The officials are ‘absconding’, fearing flak.

After making several attempts to contact higher department officials, the media could get in touch with the Range Divisional Forest Officer Chandrasekhar, who spilled the beans.

Instead of moving the animals in a special enclosure, the officials killed them by their negligent act of forcing the deer into a van. The staff themselves allegedly conducted the inquest and buried the animals, without a veterinary doctor. However, officially the department maintained that the post-mortem of the deer was

conducted as per rules by a doctor.