3 spotted deer run over by speeding train in Dudhwa

“The passenger train hit the deer as there was dense fog and the train was speeding,” the deputy director said.

Three spotted deer, or “chital”, were killed after a passenger train ran over them in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) buffer zone in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpuri Kheri district, officials aware of the matter said on Friday.

The spotted deer is protected under Schedule 2 of Wildlife Protection Act and killing it is a punishable offence, when negligence is ascertained. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

The speeding Mailani-Lucknow passenger train, which passes through the Mohrena beat of the Mailani range in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve buffer zone, hit the deer as there was dense fog, the official added.

The spotted deer is protected under Schedule 2 of Wildlife Protection Act and killing it is a punishable offence, when negligence is ascertained.

Confirming the incident, Dudhwa buffer zone deputy director Sundaresh (who goes by one name) said that the incident took place on Thursday morning.

“The passenger train hit the deer as there was dense fog and the train was speeding,” the deputy director said.

He added that a case has been lodged against an unidentified train driver under the Wildlife Protection Act, while a letter has been issued to railway authorities through the DTR field director, asking them to “restrict the train speed” while passing through buffer zone forests. “A probe is underway in the matter,” he said.

According to people aware of the matter, a group of spotted deer was grazing alongside the railway tracks near Bankeyganj canal when the passenger train passed through the area.

“Hearing the sound of the train, some of the spotted deer hurried to cross the railway tracks for safety. However, three of them were hit by the train,” said an official, asking not to be named.

After the incident, the locals alerted the officers concerned, following which deputy range officer SP Tripathi and his staff rushed to the site.

The carcasses have been sent for post-mortem examination and a report is awaited, said another officer familiar with the matter.