Chhattisgarh: World's smallest mouse deer spotted in Dantewada

By- Partha Behera
RAIPUR: In a rare sighting, an Indian mouse deer, claimed to be the smallest in the world, was spotted in a residential area of the Bacheli forest range in Dantewada in the tribal Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
The herbivorous mouse deer had minor injuries on its neck and leg and the forest department treated its wounds and later released it in the wild.
After the local residents noticed the mouse deer at NMDC’s residential colony Subhash Nagar and informed the forest department, a team of the forest department rescued the mouse deer and took it to the forest office.
After consultation with the veterinary doctors of Raipur Jungle Safari, local veterinary doctor Dr Manoj Verma treated the female mouse deer, DFO Sandeep Balaga told TOI.
“Five days back, we received a call from locals from Subhash Nagar of Bacheli area regarding the mouse deer. Our team reached the spot and rescued the mouse deer which was injured. After necessary treatment and putting it under observation for two-three days, we released it in the jungle when we felt it right,” said the DFO. The weight of the two-year-old (approximately) deer is about 3kg and length is about 10 inches, the DFO said, adding the deer of such species is found only in this weight and length categories.
“We are seeing this animal after a gap of five years and that too because of its injury. Even though the cause of injury could not be ascertained, it might be natural. Mouse deer is a Schedule-I animal as per the provisions of the Wildlife Conservation Act 1972. It is the smallest deer in the world and is rarely seen because of its small numbers. In the local dialect, this animal is called ‘turre’. Being herbivorous, we fed her grass, guava, and ORS,” the DFO said.
The team of the forest department comprising forest officer Ashutosh Mandwa, deputy ranger Aghan Shyam Bhagat and beat officer Rajesh Karma had rescued the mouse deer on the information of the villagers and brought it to the forest office for treatment, said the DFO.