Chennai: Last year’s floods may have brought untold misery to residents of Kancheepuram district, but the deluge proved to be a boon for deer as it replenished the green cover on the outskirts of the city.
Excited over the increase in critically endangered black buck population, foresters in Kancheepuram has now chalked out a conservation plan for the degraded Kancheepuram district that faces acute biotic pressure from the real estate sector.
With the recently concluded census showing vibrant movement of deer, senior officers insisted to monitor the movement of black buck. The results compiled on for the scheduled shy animal among the ungulates is a pleasant surprise, said A. Gopu, forest range officer, Chengalpet. Grid census taken up in association with the Nature Trust and other volunteers indicated movement of the deer in six ranges of Kancheepuram. Through direct sighting foresters recorded 57 black bucks and this means their total population had escalated to few hundreds in the district located close to Chennai, the ranger added.
Wildlife enthusiast K. Karthick urged authorities to focus on geo mapping of the forest areas and document the wildlife diversity of such areas so that these areas can be protected from land development activities.
