Churu becomes death zone:Stray dogs kill Nilgai, Deer; spread panic among morning walkers in area

In Churu, the beed (grassland) near Gajsar Genani (pond) is turning into a danger zone for nilgai and deer. Over 50 stray dogs in the area have become a major threat. In the last four to five days, they have killed three nilgai, while the population of chinkara deer is also declining. The hunting pattern of these stray dogs is particularly alarming. They move in packs, chase and scare nilgai into the Genani pond, and then attack them. The animals either die due to injuries from dog bites or drown in the water. After that, the dogs feed on the carcasses. There is no fencing around the Genani. These dogs also hunt deer in a similar manner, as a large number of chinkara are found in the area. The Churu Municipal Council has not installed any fencing around the pond, while the Forest Department has also not deployed any security personnel due to staff shortage. The situation has also created fear among local residents. A large number of people visit the beed area for morning walks on the main road, but stray dog activity has made the environment unsafe and frightening for them as well. Recorded video from a distance Educationist Ravindra Sharma said that he comes to this area every morning with a camera for a morning walk. During this time, he also keeps taking photos of animals and birds in the Beed. He often goes into this Beed from the main road as well. Four days ago, when I went to the Beed, some dogs were chasing a nilgai and took it towards Genani and attacked it there. I recorded a video from a distance. Two days ago, while going towards Genani via Beed, I saw seven-eight street dogs attacking a nilgai. The nilgai was trying to save itself. The dogs were continuously biting it at various places. I was also terrified seeing this horrific scene. There was no way to save the nilgai. 43 Nilgai and 52 Deer in the area According to the wildlife census conducted in the district on May 1 and 2, there are currently 43 nilgai and 52 deer in the area. Apart from this, there are other animals and birds as well. If street dogs continue hunting like this, their numbers will be reduced to negligible. The responsibility of 1983 hectares of forest land in the Churu Range area rests on nominal staff. Once the Forest Department had more than 100 Cattle Guards/Technicians. Now their number is only 9. The government has made no efforts to increase their numbers over these years. Those who were appointed retired, and no new recruitment was done. In the Churu Range area, one Forest Guard, two Assistant Forest Guards, 14 Forest Blocks, and nine Cattle Guards/Technicians are working. From rescue operations to many other tasks are their responsibility. This includes monitoring of forest land including Nature Park, office work, etc.