MP: 18 swamp deer released in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

Umaria (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 8 (ANI): 16 female and two male swamp deer were released in an enclosure at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) which is located in Madhya Pradesh’s Umaria district, a forest official said.

The 18 swamp deer were released in the enclosure built in the Magadhi zone of BTR on Sunday night.

The BTR management team brought the swamp deer from Kanha National Park located in Mandal district which is nearly 200 kilometres away from the tiger reserve. With this, the number of swamp deer will increase to 37 at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

Assistant director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Sudhir Mishra said, “16 female and two male swamp deer were brought and released in the enclosure of Magadhi zone. Now, there will be 37 swamp deer in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.”

Earlier, on March 26 this year, 19 swamp deer were brought from Kanha National Park and were released into the same enclosure. Of those swamp deer, there were 11 male and 8 female deer.

Notably, a separate enclosure was built for the swamp deer at the Magadhi zone of BTR which is named ‘Barasingha Home’ (Swamp Deer Home).

Sudhir Mishra had then said, “The Centre has permitted us to bring 100 swamp deer, with 50 in the first year. So, today (on March 26), 19 of them have been brought, which includes 11 males and 8 females.”

“We have made an enclosure here that is carnivore-proof. No carnivorous animal can go inside the enclosure. We have elephants too and we have made arrangements to see that the elephants don’t damage the enclosure,” he said.

Notably, swamp deer have been resettled in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, famous for tigers, after about 40 years. They will be kept in the enclosure for about three years and then they will be released into the wild. The management has made complete preparations for the care and arrangements of the swamp deer.