Deer Enters Village in Search of Food
With the gradual rise in population and the expansion of human settlements into open spaces, forests are being cleared and green zones are being destroyed to make way for buildings, homes, and corporate structures made of bricks and concrete. As a result, forests are vanishing, and with them, the natural habitats of wild animals. The once-lush green belts are now being replaced by towering structures. Places that humans once feared to enter have now become permanent settlements.
Due to this loss of habitat and scarcity of food, wild animals are now venturing into villages in search of sustenance. A recent incident took place in Bajapur village near Kakatpur, where a deer entered the premises of the Hanuman Temple near Gadi Chhak last night.
Local villagers, including senior journalist Braja Kishore Sahu, Gagan Nandy, and a member of Snake Helpline Braja Bandhu Sahu, closed the temple gates and immediately informed the Forest Department. Villagers kept watch until the officials arrived. The deer, chased by stray dogs, tried to hide inside the temple, and in the process, its head and leg got stuck in the temple’s door latch, causing minor injuries and bleeding.
The Forest Department later arrived and took the injured deer to the Konark Balukhand Sanctuary.
This incident raises a crucial question: Who is truly responsible for wild animals entering human settlements? Isn’t it the human society itself?