Deer found dead in pit at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

A spotted deer was found dead inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) near Bhandup area on Saturday. As per the information provided by locals, the deer was separated from its herd and was being chased by a group of langurs late evening on Friday.

"We received a phone call from the locals that a dead deer had been found in a pit behind the Shankar Tekdi Amar Nagar area at Mulund West on Saturday morning. On reaching the spot, we saw that the forest department had already removed the deer from the pit," shared Sunish Kunju of PAWS-Mumbai.

Kunju said that on enquiry, they were told that the deer, while trying to escape the langurs or having sensed humans, could have panicked, sprinted, and slipped from the road which has a slope adjacent to it and, fallen into the pit.

Dr Shailesh Pethe, Veterinary officer for SGNP said, "The cause of death seems to have been mechanical injury leading to fracture of the rib and internal haemorrhaging in the chest cavity, leading to hypovolemic shock and death," he said.