Two deer die after farmer’s strategy backfires

VIRUDHUNAGAR: A farmer from Virudhunagar district landed in trouble after two spotted deer died after reportedly consuming the poison he had kept to kill pests on coconut trees. The incident took place 500m away from the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel sanctuary in the district at Watrap Range near Thaniparai.

The farmer V Muthiah, 58 from the region has a 11-acre mango grove near the sanctuary. Recently, he had planted several new mango saplings. Since wild boars and spotted deer from the sanctuary used to raid crops in the region, he tied the poison in clothes and hung them in saplings under the impression that the strong odour would repel animals which rub against small saplings peeling the barks.

Unfortunately, two spotted deer ended up consuming the poison and died on Tuesday. Anti-poaching watchers of the sanctuary spotted the carcasses of the animals and alerted wildlife officials who rushed to the spot and recovered the dead animals. "Both were fully grown three-year-old male spotted deer," said sanctuary’s biologist, M Parthiban. A postmortem was conducted by veterinary doctors in the presence of forest ranger, P Paulpandian and forester, Sivalingam.

Muthiah, who was held, confessed to tying poison bundles on the mango saplings. Based on the investigation, wildlife warden, T K Ashok Kumar slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on Muthiah for killing the animals under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.