Dudhwa National Park, April 13, 2015: Two hog deer were rescued, treated and released by the Wildlife Trust of India team in Dudhwa National Park. The team had a veterinarian and animal keeper that treated these animals.

One adult male hog deer was rescued by WTI team from Makanpur village on April 7, 2015. This hog deer while grazing in croplands was chased and bitten by stray dogs from neighbouring villages. The animal was rescued and brought to the Forest Campus at Dudhwa National Park, by the Forest Department.

On arrival, supportive treatment was provided to stabilise the animal. Subsequently, severe wounds of broken antlers and torn muscles of the left hind limb were sutured with cat-guts, and appropriate antiseptics were applied on the suture to prevent infections. “The animal was then placed in an enclosure to allow it to rest and recuperate, as well as to allow for observations. On the next day, the animal was released back to wild in Sathiyana Forest Range of Dudhwa NP in vicinity of other wild hog deer herds,” said Dr Saurabh Singhai, Veterinarian, WTI.

Another adult male hog deer was rescued from Aethpur village of Palia range on April 11, 2015. This animal was found with deep gash on the entire ventral surface of its neck, indicating that it had been attacked by a human who had probably tried to cut its neck with a sharp blade. The hind limbs also had clear marks of that indicated that its feet were bound with ropes.

The animals had obviously somehow managed to escape, when it was caught by villagers and handed over to the local FD. The animal was then brought to Dudhwa Forest Campus and treated. The animal was provided with supportive medications and absorbable suturing was done on all cuts and gashes, after which it was kept for observation for few hours after which it was released in the forests near the base camp area of Dudhwa NP on the same day.