Digapahandi: Forest officials rescued a blackbuck fawn from Bajraguma village under Choudhuri Tikarapada panchayat in Ganjam district after it had reportedly been sheltered by a local farmer for nearly one and a half months. The female fawn, aged about two months, had strayed into farmland near the village after losing its way. It was reportedly being chased by stray dogs before the farmer rescued it and kept it at his house.
On receiving information, Nuapada forest section officials, including Section Forester E Ganesh, forest guard Geetanjali Nayak and para-forest squad members Sangram Singh and Sagar Pradhan, reached the village and brought the fawn to the Digapahandi forest range office. It was later taken to the veterinary hospital for treatment.
After being declared healthy, it was released in a nearby protected forest Friday. Digapahandi Ranger Dibya Ranjan Sahu said officials rescued the fawn after receiving information that it was being kept at a person’s house. He said it was examined at the veterinary hospital and released after doctors confirmed that it was healthy. The incident has raised questions over the Forest Department’s monitoring and awareness measures for blackbuck protection in the Digapahandi and Sanakhemundi areas, where the population of the species has reportedly expanded in recent years.
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