Bihar: Flood-hit villagers rescue 250 deer from swollen rivers

PATNA: People marooned in flood-hit districts of Gopalganj, Saran and East Champaran are rising above their own distress to help save herds of deer and other wild animals from Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) and the adjoining Chitwan National Park in Nepal being swept away by floodwaters.

“Around 250 deer, 10 endangered crocodiles and a number of reptiles have been saved with the active support of people in Gopalganj, Saran and East Champaran districts,” said Hemant Rai, conservator-cum director of VTR.

Residents of Baikunthpur, Majha and Barauli in Gopalganj alone have so far rescued around 15 sambar deer being swept away in the swollen Gandak. Some of them were handed over to forest officials while a few are being taken care of by the villagers themselves.

Gopalganj divisional forest officer (DFO) Abhishek Kumar Singh said on Thursday, “Nine of them have already been handed over to the officials of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) at Bettiah. Efforts are on to rescue more such animals that have fallen victim to flood in the Gandak.”

A forest department employee told this newspaper that around half of the rescued sambar deer were taken to forests near Bettiah, which are not affected by flood water originating from Nepal. “We have formed separate teams that are carrying out patrolling in villages,” he said.

On Thursday, a forest department team rushed to a village under Baikunthpur block in Gopalganj after reports of a baby deer rescued by some villagers reached the district forest office.

“A dedicated team with a vehicle has been engaged in the rescue operation,” said forest guard Rajan Giri, who is posted in Gopalganj.

A wildlife activist Sanjay Kumar said, “It’s a double whammy for the flood-hit people of Gopalganj, Saran and East Champaran districts. On the one hand, they have to save themselves and on the other they are working hard to save wildlife being washed away by floodwaters. After all it’s a question of survival for both of them.”

Earlier, 20 hog deer were rescued by villagers of Panapur in Saran district. The rescued animals were handed over to the forest department officials. Forest officer Lav Kumar Rai said the residents of Prithvipur, Basahiya, Dhobbal and Rampur Rudra had rescued the hog deer being washed away.

Similar reports have also poured in from East Champaran where over 80 deer were rescued.

The forest department officials didn’t rule out smuggling of deer during floods. In July, the Muzaffarpur police lodged a case against five poachers—Shiv Manjhi, Chanchal Ram , Patthal Ram, Arvind Ram and Manoj Manjhi—on charges of being involved in smuggling of wildlife animals, including deer.

A senior forest department officer said, “The hog deer falls under Schedule 1 species of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 that forbids hunting through strict regulations. During Monsoon wild animals, mostly hog deer come out from forests in search of shelter and people take advantage of the situation and go for a hunt.”

(With inputs from Tirthraj Kushwaha in Bagaha)