A spotted deer was hit by a State-owned bus on the Bengaluru-Chennai Highway in the Ranipet range on Sunday.

The deer had reportedly strayed out of the wooded area from a nearby reserve forest and was hit by the bus, bound for Kancheepuram from Bengaluru, near Kannigapuram. Quoting bus passengers, the Forest Department officials said the female, aged around one and a half years, was crossing the road from the southern side but panicked when a lorry driver sounded the air horn.

The deer darted across to the opposite side, where it ran into the bus. Hit on the head, the animal was gasping for breath and it was loaded into the bus by driver Ravi. He handed over the animal near Walajapet Tollgate and Foresters from Ranipet reached the spot and took charge of the animal. It was let into the forest area near the Amirthi Zoological Park after treatment.

Punishable offence

The spotted deer (Axis axis), also known as ‘chital’, is protected under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and killing it is a punishable offence.

It is not uncommon for these animals to stray into residential areas, adjacent to the forest cover in the district especially along the Bengaluru- Chennai Highway. But, there are no ‘deer crossing’ warning signs in the area, except for one near the Amrithi Forest area.

Doe saved from well

In another incident, Fire and Rescue Services personnel rescued a two-and-half-year-old female spotted deer, which had fallen into an open well on a farmland in south Nallur village near Vettavalam in Tiruvannamalai district.

The well owned by one Kuppusamy, 50, was 50-foot deep and was half-filled with water.

On hearing the animal’s distressed calls, Kuppusamy alerted the Fire Service in Vettavalam. Station Officer Madhiazhagan and his team rescued the animal after two and half hours.

It was handed over to Forest Department officials from Tiruvannamalai and recuperating from the shock and exasperation, a Forest Department official said.