Karnataka: Deer gets stuck in gate, villagers cut skin to free it

BENGALURU: A video of a deer stuck vertically in a metal gate of a coffee estate with its skin and flesh torn through it has the social media abuzz. The video shot few days ago at Hurudi village in Sakleshpur of Hassan district in Karnataka is being described as a mirror to the rising cases of wildlife falling victims to shrinking habitats.
The video shows the struggling deer, which might have got stuck to the railings of the gate in its efforts to jump over it or finding its way out. Villagers including Harish, to whom the farm belongs, seem to be scared to go near the animal to start with. Then they discuss various options among themselves and after a few minutes, a villager walks in with a sharp machete and slits the skin near the limb. Within a fraction of a second, the deer is freed and vanishes into the greenery before finding its way back into the woods.
Deer and other wildlife entering coffee estates and other human habitations is a common feature in this part of the district. In June this year, more than 20 spotted deer kept under illegal captivity in a private estate in Sakleshpur were rescued by the forest department. The staff at the estate had illegally caught the animals roaming in the vicinity and kept them in captivity. The accused had set up an iron chain link to ensure deer didn't escape from them.