COIMBATORE: A pack of stray dogs killed a spotted deer at a grove in Elachipalayam village near Karumathampatti on Sunday morning.
Thereafter, farmers in the locality demanded the Tamil Nadu forest department to control the population of the spotted deer, which frequently damage crops.
Habituated to killing deer, stray dogs now bite goats and even cows in the agricultural fields. They bite us when we try to chase them away, claimed farmers.
"If a spotted deer is found dead in a farm, forest department staff will suspect us and even register cases against us. Hence we have taken a video of the dogs killing the spotted deer," added farmers.
T Prabhakaran, the State Organising Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association, pointed to the destruction of crops by the strays.
"Crops like banana, grass and turmeric are frequently damaged. Cows and goats refuse to consume grass after spotted deer urinate over it. That is why we have been demanding the forest department to control the spotted deer population since it has increased multifold in the last couple of years in the surroundings of Semmandampalayam Kittampalayam, Vagarayampalayam near Karumathampatti," he stated.
Dozens of the spotted deer are roaming along the Kousika River and are approaching the Karumathampatti town limits, posing a nuisance to motorists.
"Children fear to come out of the house as well as play outside as stray dogs chase spotted deer," said Prabhakaran.
Several spotted deer have fallen prey to the dogs.