From 2 to 2,000 deers: The story of a farmer who created a ‘mini sanctuary’

Chennai: In 1996, R Gurusamy, who owns about 60 acres of land in Tiruppur district, found two spotted deer grazing on grass alongside his goats and cows in his farm on the banks of Kousika river. 

Gurusamy did not chase the deer like others, but he created a habitat for them on his own land.

Almost three decades later, a part of Gurusamy’s farm – a 35-acre land parcel where the animal first sought refuge while searching for food and water -- is a mini sanctuary, home to a thriving herd of nearly 2,000 spotted deer.

“I never thought I was creating a deer sanctuary on my farmland,” 74-year-old Gurusamy laughs. 

The farmer, who received about 60 acres of land as his share of ancestral property in the 1990s, continues to cultivate various crops on about 20 to 25 acres, while the remaining land was “gifted” to spotted deer.

With trees and bushes all around, the 35-acre land parcel looks like a forest, creating the right environment for spotted deer, K Ravindran, President, Nature Society of Tiruppur, told DH. 

“Gurusamy is an example of community-led conservation. Whenever I go to his farm, which is now home to 2,000 deers, I feel like I'm in the dense Mudumalai forests. That’s how beautiful the place looks,” Ravindran said. 

Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary (Environment and Forests), took to X over the weekend to share the “endearing true story” of Gurusamy and his commitment to protecting wildlife. 

“Working with the TN Forest Department, he protected the area from poaching and built awareness among students and villagers. Today, this landscape is home to a thriving herd of nearly 2,000 deer,” she said.

Reminiscing about his journey with DH, Gurusamy said he felt extremely sad when he spotted the deer – which were found only in forests -- on his land and grazing along with his goats.

“It was very rare to spot deer in our village. I didn’t chase them away. They became friends with my goats and cows and began to co-exist. The land slowly became their home. Since my land had dense thickets, the deer felt comfortable even during the summer and rainy seasons,” Gurusamy said.

The deer population increased gradually, prompting Gurusamy to leave the land exclusively for them. “Once the population started increasing, officials from the Forest Department began helping me. We never expected that the number would increase to 2,000. It is a mini sanctuary for deer now,” the farmer added.

However, the deer population also brought fresh problems for Gurusamy as poachers began proliferating near his farmland to poach the animal. Owners of farmland nearby also started troubling Gurusamy, seeking to know why he had to give refuge to deer and make it a safe haven for them in the middle of farmers.

Gurusamy also recalled how he and his friend caught a gang of poachers and handed them to Forest Department officials by laying a trap for them. 

“One night, as I was going for a walk, I found a group of people trying to poach deer. I called my neighbour and we started talking to them. They lied to us, saying that they came to hunt rabbits. We brought them home on the pretext of offering them tea. We called Forest Department officials and handed them over,” he added.