JOIN USA video of some youths rescuing two deer that were caught in a snare laid by poachers at Chikkallur beat, Cauvery wildlife range in the district has gone viral on social media.
Sandeep, one of them, told DH that he, along with his friends, had been to Chikkallur to attend a naming ceremony. “While returning, we decided to visit Muthathiraya temple nearby. While walking through the forest, we heard an animal whining, went in search of it and found a deer caught in a snare. We saved the deer by removing the snare from its neck. We heard a similar noise nearby and found another deer trapped. We freed it too. We saw many such snares around the place,” he added.
The youth did not visit the temple as they could not trace the path inside the forest and returned.
“We wanted to inform the forest officials about the incident, but there was nobody in the surroundings,” Sandeep said. They posted the video on Facebook and thought it would be seen by around 100 people. But 1.5 lakh people have viewed it so far, he said.
Cauvery Wildlife Division DCF Ramesh Kumar told DH that the forest department had asked the youth to identify the spot where they found the deer trapped. He said the youths had done a good job by rescuing the deer, but they should have informed the department.
A team of forest personnel will visit the spot for verification. Many people move about in the area to visit the temple. One of them might have set up the snare, it is said. The youths are said to be from Bidadi, Ramanagaram district.