KOCHI: For the hundreds of deer at Tripunithura Hill Palace Deer Park, life has taken a turn for the better with the Centre of Heritage Studies implementing measures to ensure the safety and welfare of animals. "Last week, a roof was erected over 1,500 square feet area in the park to protect the animals from heavy rain and intense heat. Also, a new fence has been erected around the park, replacing the old and dilapidated one," said E Dineshan, registrar, CHS.  

The move follows the incident that occurred last year wherein  13 deer died due to lung infection caused by exposure to rain and delay in vaccination. Dineshan said the new fence will prevent the animals from venturing out of the two-acre park area. "The old fence had sharp edges which often injured the animals. The total cost of the project is `30 lakh," said the registrar.

Relocation 
According to Dineshan, the temporary arrangements would help ensure the safety of animals until the Forest Department relocates them to a new place. "We could only find a temporary solution. At present, the park is overcrowded with around 240  deer. Immediate shifting of animals to a safe place is needed. The CHS can do that only with the help of the Forest Department,” he added. 

However, the Forest Department officials say many 
factors have to be considered before moving the animals. "We need to move the animals to the nearest forest area, which is approximately 50 km away from the park. To shift them, we need to dart them. We cannot sedate them for more than 30 min. Such a short duration is not enough to relocate the animals safely," the official said.

Also, the animals won't be able to survive in the forest as they were raised in captivity. 
"They are also not accustomed to fighting predators. So, we should train them to live in a safe region for a couple of years. It requires huge effort and funds from the department. At present, we don't have enough funds,” he added. 

Earlier, to free the animals, the Central Zoo Authority had ordered the CHS to hand over the deer in captivity to the Forest Department. The department had demanded CHS pay `1.01 crore for relocation. Since CHS failed to source the fund, the order remained unimplemented. 

Meanwhile, Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents Association has warned of protests against the lethargic attitude of authorities towards the welfare of animals in the park. "We will come up with protest if the decision to relocate the animals is delayed," said MS Nair, a resident.