It may not be necessary anymore to go to the Guindy National Park to spot deer. On West Canal Bank Road, near Kotturpuram railway station, they can be seen wandering in groups of threes and fours, especially between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.
These spotted animals have caught the attention of many residents in the locality. Often, they find the deer peeping through their windows.
“If the gate of my house is open, they enter and peep through the window. It is such a pleasant thing to see in the morning,” says Kalpana Elango, a resident of Teachers Colony. She is happy to share the pictures of deer she has clicked.
Her son Dhruva is equally excited to see the deer up close.
“The antlers are cuter that how they look in pictures of deer in the textbooks,” he says.
A few houses away, at Udayam Flats, a herd of deer are regular visitors. Here, a trough of water is usually placed for these animals.
“The deer generally mind their own business and stroll along the stretches where they can find some greenery. They are often spotted near Perumal Koil,” says residents.
While many youngsters are happy about the deer sightings, long-time residents are a bit non-chalant. “Kotturpuram has always had herds of wandering deer. They come either from the Guindy National Park or from the CLRI campus. Their presence has in fact decreased because of the rise in the number of vehicles taking the stretch. Yes, of late, many have started coming again,” says A. Kabali, who lives in the area for over 20 years now.
Forest officials are, however, worried. They know deer that stays within the park are safe, but don’t seem to know how to keep them from wandering outside. Recently, a deer fell into an open well at Kotturpuram and the Fire and Rescue Services Department was called to rescue it.
S. David Raj, forest range officer, says 50 years ago when the compound wall was being built around the Guindy National Park, over 20 deer escaped from the protected area. “Last year’s census showed that 1,200 deer were wandering outside the Park in areas such as Tambaram Sanatorium, Vijaya Nagar in Velachery, Madhya Kailash, Kasi Theatre and Kotturpuram. They did not escape recently. They come from the old herd,” he says. “We cannot just catch them and bring them to the Park. They have to be handled sensitively. And we are doing just that.” Residents must not feed them with snacks or vegetables. Doing so is a non- bailable offence, he said.
