Kerala   

For that extra little space

The deer park at the Hill Palace museum is facing a peculiar problem - the deer population there is burgeoning. According to the latest figures, there are 109 deer in the three-acre park.

Lack of sufficient space and increasing expense for feeding the deer are posing problems for the authorities.

The deer are virtually eating into the income of the museum, with one-third of the revenue going into their care. At least Rs.8 lakhs is required annually for purchasing the cattle feed, fodder and other food for the deer, the authorities say.

Arguments are also being voiced against housing the deer on the Hill Palace museum premises as the palace is a heritage site and also a protected monument.

The park started functioning on the museum premises in the early Nineties. At that time, four spotted deer were brought from the Thiruvananthapuram zoo to attract the visitors and the three-acre stretch was sufficient for the animals. At present, there are 88 spotted deer and 21 sambar deer in the park.

The park authorities are now considering various options to control the deer population. Sterilisation and sex segregation are among the options available. The authorities are, however, wary of going in for sterilisation. A similar procedure a decade ago had created a furore in the State, following the death of some animals after surgery.

Now, the authorities are considering separating the male and female animals to prevent them from procreating.

K.S. Sudhi

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