<i>Deer enter localities for food, water</i>
Four rescued, one dies in Monpura upazila of Bhola
Police rescued this deer from Chowmohoni in Tojumoddin uapzila under Bhola district on March 23.Photo: STAR
Scarcity of sweet water and food often forces deer from different reserve forests in Bhola district to enter human habitations. Four deer came to Pachakorali village in Hazir Har union under Monpura upazila of Bhola after crossing the river from Nijhum island under Noakhali district on March 20 afternoon when locals chased to catch them but in vain. Later in the evening the same day, a team from local forest office rescued the four deer from the spot and freed three of them at Badner Char in Monpura upazila. The other deer died. Informed by locals, Tojumoddin police rescued a deer from Chowmohoni area under Tajumoddin upazila on March 23 morning. Later forest officials released it to the reserve forest after primary aid. The deer may have left the forest in search of food and sweet water, said Masud Rana, assistant forest conservator in Bhola. Deer always drink sweet water but it becomes less available especially in February and March as salinity increases in the coastal areas, said Md Mizanur Rahman, divisional forest officer (DFO) in Bhola. Sweet water ponds should be dug inside the reserve forest areas as at least 15,000 deer now live in different reserve forests like Char Kukri-Mukri, Char Patila, Dhal Char, Moupura, Sakuchia and Hazir Hat areas in Bhola, he said. Deer in these areas are also facing food crisis, he said. Deer often come to habitations in search of sweet water and food by crossing rivers and a good number of deer are killed by a group of hunters who sell venison privately among locals, said Masud Rana, assistant conservator of forest in Bhola. Local forest officials and employees said they often rescue deer that come to human habitations and free them in the reserve forests. They have to do it with their own expenses as there is no allocation from the government for the purpose, they said. Deer usually eat nut, different types of leaves, twigs and low growing of plants that are available within their range and the creature need balanced diet, said DFO Mizanur Rahman. On an average, a deer consumes five to eight pounds food for every 100 pounds of body weight per day, he said, adding that it takes food early in the morning and just before the dark in the evening, and sometimes in a moonlit night.
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