What’s a nice deer like you doing in a place like this?
As I was about to get into the maiden scull this morning to row, the lascars (boatmen) pointed out a deer standing on the opposite bank of the Adyar! It was clearly one of the spotted deer from the Guindy National Park that had somehow found its way out of the park, to the river and followed its course up to this point. The lascars would call out to the deer, and she would stand very still and listen with her ears pointed and alert. But she wouldn’t move from that spot for some reason. Later, as I rowed past, I took a look at her, to find her peacefully foraging on the greenery growing at that spot. Close by, in the shallows, were a number of stork like birds (the kind that migrate all the way from Siberia to the lakes, rivers and wetlands around Chennai such as such as Pallikaranai every winter) feeding on the insects on the water surface. If one looked only at this vista, the deer, the river bank and the birds, it was hard to believe that this was Kotturpuram, Chennai! Still, I hope someone informs the rangers at the Guindy National Park as to her presence so that they come and collect her. My fear is that stray dogs may attack her as a pack and pull her down although there was none of them around at that time.
Did you inform the rangers later, just in case? If not, why not? Obviously, you have been affected enough by it to come back and write about it…
Its a common site to see the deers at the compound of a factory (Oh! I forgot the name) on the Guindy Velachery Road. You also see the deers straying from the Guindy Park / IIT to the Taramani Road. Some time back a deer was hit by a speeding vehicle in the night and died. The police who saw the dead deer sought permission to keep the deer in our compound and said that very soon the forest officials will take it away . This was in the morning at about 8.00 AM. When I returned in the evening at about 7 the dead deer was still there. Thereafter I had to speak to the forest officials starting from ranger to warden and conservator of forest. At last at about 10 pm , 3 or 4 people came and took away the dead deer.
I’ve sent word to the rangers through a colleague who knows them well. Lets hope they act soon to prevent anyhting unfortunate happening to this one.
david, thats very responsible of you.. hopefully the deer should be rescued.