GUWAHATI: A spotted deer succumbed to injuries after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs on the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus on Friday, April 4. The incident occurred near J-Hostel in the South Campus, where students and security personnel found the injured deer and rushed it to a veterinary hospital. However, the deer did not survive.
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According to reports, the deer was also aged and may have suffered a heart attack while being transported to the hospital. This marks the second such incident of a deer being killed by dogs on the same campus this year.
“The deer are being forced out of their natural habitat due to the ongoing bulldozing of 400 acres of land that was home to various wildlife species,” a student reportedly said. “Chief Minister Revanth Reddy claimed there are no spotted deer on campus, but this incident proves otherwise. The destruction of green cover is forcing wildlife into dangerous situations.”
University students have also reported a rising number of deer deaths due to dog attacks and road accidents. “Deer are frequently chased by stray dogs and often end up being killed. Many have also been hit by vehicles,” another student reportedly said.
Following the incident, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) dispatched a dog-catching team to the university to address the issue of stray dogs on campus.
The deer’s death comes amid a larger environmental controversy surrounding deforestation near UoH. The Supreme Court had recently directed the Telangana government to halt all non-essential activities on a disputed land parcel adjacent to the university, following concerns over large-scale tree felling.
A bench led by Justices B.R. Gavai and Augustine George Masih noted an alarming interim report from the Telangana High Court, which highlighted severe deforestation in the area.
The Supreme Court has also sought an explanation from the Telangana Chief Secretary regarding the urgency behind the state’s decision to develop IT infrastructure on the 400-acre land parcel. The case is set for further hearing on April 16.
