West Champaran/ Patna: A deer that had wandered from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve into the Diara region near the Bihar-Uttar Pradesh border was brutally beaten to death by suspected hunters in a shocking case of wildlife cruelty. The incident occurred near the PP embankment of Halwaai Patti village, under Piprasi police station in Bagaha, West Champaran.
According to forest officials, the animal was first trapped in a net and then attacked with sticks by unidentified individuals. The Bagaha forest ranger, Sunil Kumar, said the forest department was alerted by a local villager on Sunday evening. A team from the Madanpur forest range was dispatched immediately, but the assailants fled the scene before they arrived.
“The deer was still alive when our team reached, but succumbed to its injuries while being taken to a rural veterinary doctor,” Kumar said. “It had been brutally beaten and showed clear signs of torture.”
The forest department has since buried the animal and registered an FIR against unknown persons. Officials say they have gathered preliminary clues and an investigation is underway to identify the culprits.
Under Sections 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), maiming or killing animals is a cognizable offence, punishable by imprisonment and fines. Hunting wild animals or trading in their parts can attract up to seven years of jail time under India’s wildlife protection laws.
