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Burdwan Forest deer find new home at Buxa Reserve Forest

Following an instruction by the Central Zoo Authority, the Burdwan Divisional Forest authority shifted 125 deer to the Buxa Reserve…

Burdwan Forest deer find new home at Buxa Reserve Forest

Following an instruction by the Central Zoo Authority, the Burdwan Divisional Forest authority shifted 125 deer to the Buxa Reserve Forest on Sunday. After a week-long work of ‘deer captures’ ended the other day, the herd of spotted deer were shifted to Buxa in Alipurduar on Sunday evening.

The measure, according to the Divisional Forest authority, was aimed to create adequate space for the new guests who are scheduled to arrive at the Burdwan Zoological Park by the end of March, 2018 as the overpopulated deer reserve had grabbed substantial part of the zoological park. The Zoological Park was accommodating 160 spotted deer (commonly known as Cheetal).

Mr Debashis Sharma, DFO, Burdwan said: “We had started the process of deer capturing on last 11 February. The deer group is now shifted to Buxa reserve forest and the remaining deer herd will be placed in the newly erected enclosures within the Zoological Park here.” The Burdwan Zoological Park~formerly known as Ramanabagan is currently implementing a Rs 3.09 crore infrastructure development plan which is focused to elevate the infrastructure and constituents for a state-of-the – art zoo by 2035.

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The CZA in its last inspection report asked the Divisional Forest authority to ensure arrival of scheduled new guests like leopard, bear and crocodile within 45 days. The zoo dates back to 1960 and on 30 September 1981 was developed as a wildlife sanctuary. In 1978, the area was converted to a deer park with the introduction of six deer.

Gradually it was introduced as a Mini Zoo by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). On 31 March, 2015, the CZA’s observation report on Ramanabagan Mini Zoo suggested the zoo though was having approved accommodation of 4 Sloth Bear, two were yet to be procured.

Besides, despite being equipped with sanctioned strength of six leopards, it was did not have even one. The CZA also identified the Zoo had ‘excess’ number of spotted deer, which was counted 120 in 2015. The Park got sanctioned strength of just 30 spotted deer. Following the CZA’s instructions, the deer were shifted to the Buxa Reserve Forest.

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