A spotted deer was found dead inside Railway Colony, Tambaram, on Thursday evening. Residents of the colony living in the Tambaram Sanatorium end of the colony noticed the carcass of the deer in the bushes close to EMU (electric multiple unit) car shed around 6 p.m. on Thursday. Forest Department staff did not visit the spot to establish the exact cause of the deer’s death.
Residents however suspect the deer to have been bitten by a venomous snake as there were no visible external injuries, ruling out the possibility of it being chased and bitten by dogs. Spotted deer or chital (Axis axis) are found abundantly in forests at Guindy and Vandalur, apart from the lush green and sprawling campus of Madras Christian College. There have been several instances of deer dying while trying to jump over steel fences and chased and bitten by packs of dogs, apart from falling into open wells and trenches.
