Berhampur: Forest officials in Odisha’s Ganjam district have rescued a two-month-old barking deer (Indian muntjac) from a house at Gunakhala village under Badagada forest range.
The operation, carried out in the Ghumusar South forest division, also led to the seizure of two country-made guns, a knife, and explosives from the premises.
After being rescued, the fawn was immediately shifted to the veterinary hospital at Sorada for treatment and will be released into the wild once declared fit, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vipasha Parul said on Sunday.
“We suspect the house owner is involved in poaching activities. Firearms and other materials recovered indicate their possible use for hunting wild animals in the region,” she said.
The house owner managed to flee during the raid. A case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and a search is underway to trace him.
The barking deer, also known as the Indian muntjac, is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which affords it the highest level of legal protection.
Forest officials believe the rescued fawn may have been captured from nearby forests, possibly with the intention of being reared and later killed for its skin and meat.