Foresters frown at deer population in St John's Medical College

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Forest department officials visited St John’s Medical College in Bengaluru on Saturday after they got information that the management had allegedly been keeping deer on its premises, in violation of the law.

Following criticism from animal rights activists, the officials visited the college premises to investigate the matter – what the deer were being fed and how often they were examined by veterinarians. A Forest official claimed that on the first look, the deer looked weak and unwell.

The department has claimed that they had provided permission to the college to keep only six deer. However, their number has now risen to 55 and the space within the premises is inadequate. Officials have submitted a report to the department regarding the issue and have promised to relocate the deer.

The college administration has said that they received the approval to rear deer in 1998. A senior security officer has said that the college earlier had four male deer and two females. He also agreed that the space in the campus is not enough to keep them healthy