Muzaffarnagar :
Seven deer were rescued from an island in the Ganga here while others in their herd were swept away in the river, officials said on Tuesday. A herd of deer was trapped apparently near Haridwar in the swollen river amid the incessant rains and was swept along with the river, they said.
While seven of them managed to swim to an island in the river near a barrage in the district, others were swept away, they said. The stranded deer were rescued on Monday evening by a joint team of Forest and Irrigation departments, which reached the island on boats and rescued them, said Forest Ranger Ramesh Valodo.
Refusing to hazard any guess on the number of deer swept away, Valodo said a herd of deer generally comprise any number between 50 and 100. Officials, however, said various districts’ administrations along the river course have been alerted to keep an eye over the deer trapped in the river.
After being rescued, the animals were released in Hastinapur sanctuary near here, he said. Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Established in 1986, the sanctuary is spread over 2,073 square km across Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Bijnor, Meerut and Amroha districts.
