SHIVAMOGGA: Members of a family who saved a fawn, which was separated from its mother, from a pack of dogs in the forest, brought it home and reared it for two years as a family member, are pained because they had to give the calf to the Forest Department.
When the fawn was fighting for its life after being attacked by dogs in the forest, a cowherd rescued it.
Fawn fed milk for 6 months
After treating it, he fed the fawn with milk from a bottle, for almost six months. Since then, the fawn has become a member of the family of the rescuer. But now they have come to know that rearing a wild animal is an offence as per the law. After nurturing and taking care of the animal for more than two years, the family developed an emotional bond with the deer. However, they decided to hand over the animal to the Forest Department, albeit with a heavy heart.
Chinnapapu of Kenchammanahalli in Bhadravati taluk rescued the fawn two years ago, and reared it like a family member.
The fawn became an adult, and coexisted with livestock and the people in the village. It also played with the children.
After some villagers told Chinnapapu that rearing a wild animal is an offence, he took it to the forest and left it there. Subsequently, the deer reached back home even before Chinnapapu did! The deer used to go along with the cattle for grazing, and came back home in the evening.
Though the family members saved it and reared it on humanitarian grounds, it would have been an offence if something happened to the animal in captivity.
Fearing such consequences, the family decided to hand over the deer to the Forest Department.
It was, however, a painful separation: tears rolled down the eyes of Chinnapapu and his mother when asked about sending the animal to the department.
A Forest Department officer of the Bhadravati wildlife division told Express that as there were chances of the deer being attacked by stray dogs, the department released the animal in the Bhadra wildlife sanctuary on Saturday.