The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought the response of the State to a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to authorities to include the reserve forest areas in Gangaikondan-II and Thalaiyuthu villages into the Spotted Deer Sanctuary situated at Gangaikondan-I in Tirunelveli district.
A Division Bench of Justices D. Krishnakumar and P.D. Audikesavalu sought a report on the petition filed by S.P. Muthuraman of Tirunelveli district, who said considering the population of spotted deer in Gangaikondan, the State declared part-I of the village a Spotted Deer Sanctuary.
There were 196 spotted deer in an extent of 288.40 hectares within the reserve forest, he said. He had obtained information through the reply to an RTI application that there were 107 spotted deer in an extent of 152.76 hectares in Gangaikondan-II village, and 212 spotted deer in an extent of 565 hectares in Thalaiyuthu.
He said to protect these wild animals, the authorities should include the reserve forest areas in Gangaikondan-II and Thalaiyuthu villages into the Spotted Deer Sanctuary.
