12 May,2017 07:23 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Spotted deer leaps over Aarey boundary wall and dies in auto collision, proving claims of thriving wildlife in area
The doe was spotted leaping across the wall at 1.30 am
While the Metro authorities have claimed repeatedly that there is no wildlife in the forests of Aarey Milk Colony, their claims have been proved false yet again by a female spotted deer that was seen jumping over the six-foot-tall boundary wall of the colony in the wee hours today. Tragically, the doe rammed into an auto rickshaw on the service road right outside, and died instantly. The rickshaw driver was also injured in the collision and is currently in hospital.
SARRP volunteer Kaushal Dubey said the deer scaled the six-foot-high Aarey wall (behind him), ran across the WEH and got hit by the auto
mid-day had reported in 2015 that the Mumbai Metro rail Corporation (MMRC) had claimed that there was no wildlife at the Metro III site in Aarey ('Did MMRC lie to get Rs. 5,000 cr from Japan for Metro?', February 12, 2015). However, the forested area in Aarey is home to leopards as well as other wildlife. This latest sighting only adds weight to green activists' argument that Aarey should be maintained as a protected area to shield its precious wildlife.
The auto with which the doe collided
The adult doe was spotted between 1 am and 1.30 am on Friday, as it leaped over the boundary wall of Aarey and landed on the service road adjacent to the Western Express Highway. It hit a rickshaw that was plying, before collapsing from the trauma.
"The deer ran towards the highway and collapsed. The driver also suffered injuries in the accident, and was rushed to hospital," said an officer from Vanrai police station in Goregaon East.
SARRP chief Santosh Shinde rides with the deer in the ambulance
Soon after the accident, NGO SARRP's president, Santosh Shinde asked the nearest volunteer to take the animal to hospital. "I also informed the forest department control room about the development. When a team member reached the spot, they found that the deer was unconscious and there was blood oozing from its mouth and nose."
An eyewitness to the incident told mid-day that the deer appeared to be dead in less than 15 minutes. She was taken to Vanrai police station in an animal ambulance. Later, the body was taken to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, where Dr Shailesh Pethe performed the post-mortem.
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