Spotted deer found dead inside Thoothukudi Government Medical College campus on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: RAJESH N
A female spotted deer died on Thursday after being mauled by stray dogs near the Thoothukudi Government Medical College campus at Third Mile.According to officials, the deer had strayed into the residential area about a few days ago from Vallanadu forest region. It had been roaming in the Third Mile region, and had continued to take shelter in the bushy areas around the Third Mile locality.On Thursday morning, the deer was spotted near the Thoothukudi Medical College premises, where stray dogs attacked the animal, inflicting severe bite injuries on several parts of the body. The deer succumbed to its injuries.Residents informed the forest department about the incident. Acting on the information, forest department officials recovered the carcass and shifted it to the Government Veterinary Hospital in Thoothukudi for post-mortem examination.Following the post-mortem, the deer was buried in a forest area in Ottapidaram.Speaking to The Hindu, Thoothukudi District Forest Officer M. Ilayaraja said that the department is planning to take measures to capture deer that strayed into city and residential areas and relocate them to the Kalakkad Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR). He added that a proposal for the initiative has already been submitted.Mr. Ilayaraja noted that the department also plans to develop water turfs for deer in the scrub forested areas in Vallanadu, Kovilpatti and Ottapidaram through CSR initiatives. Published - July 30, 2026 05:58 pm IST
