Spotted: Deer inside home after crashing through ceiling, rescued

Crash. Bang. Next thing you see is a deer plopped down right in the middle of your home.

Crash. Bang. Next thing you see is a deer plopped down right in the middle of your home.

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Residents of a house in a Powai slum woke up with a start around 1.30am on Sunday after a deer crashed through a tin ceiling into their home. The incident happened in Mahatma Pule Chawl near Hanuman Tekdi, between Powai and Bhandup, close to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP)

A seven-member rescue team, including animal welfare groups from Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), Plants and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS-Mumbai), and forest officials rescued the two-year-old male chital, or spotted deer, in a couple of hours.

“We are not sure about the cause of the fall, although there are several rumours. It is an unusual rescue,” said Jitendra Ramgaokar, deputy conservator of forest (Thane).

“The deer fell from a height into the settlement located at the base of a hill. The animal was in shock for a while, and could not move inside Karan Parihar’s home (resident of the slum) for some time.”

Following a safe rescue, the animal, which is found in the SGNP, was taken to the rescue centre. “The deer only had minor injuries on his hind left leg. A full check-up will be done, and based on the presence of its herd in the same rescue area, the animal will be released,” said Vijay Barabde, range forest officer from SGNP. This is the second such incident in a month. Another spotted deer fell from a hill and died, owing to impact, at Hanuman Tekdi on April 21.

“In both cases, the animals were being chased by a predator and to save themselves, jumped from the hill,” said Aaba Kubal, a resident of the slum who informed animal rescue groups.

Pawan Sharma, president, RAWW, said, “The deer found itself in a tough spot after a suspected chase from a leopard at a slum adjacent to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Powai. The joint rescue was completed amid hundreds of slum dwellers who had gathered.”

“On April 21, the deer had fallen from a great height, but in the latest incident it was a much shorter jump and the tin shed broke his fall,” said Sunish Subramanian Kunju, PAWS-Mumbai.