Hyderabad: Packs of stray dogs have hunted down two spotted deer in a span of three weeks at the Hyderabad Central University. Concerned nature enthusiasts at the varsity say that such incidents are not random but planned occurrences of poaching by people who are using trained stray dogs.

A video shot near the J and K hostels by a student and uploaded on Facebook shows three dogs killing a spotted deer. However, when a senior Telangana Forest Department official was asked if any complaint had been registered by the university, as the spotted deer is a Schedule III protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, he replied in the negative.

Jillapalli Ravi, a research scholar in the Department of Animal Sciences and a wildlife enthusiast said, “I love clicking pictures of animals and usually venture into the wooded regions of the university. Many times I came across metal snares, which are used to trap wild boars, rabbits, monitor lizard and birds. Last year, I had caught hold of about 35 people, who were in no manner associated with the university, lurking in these wooded regions. Some of them had metal wires. However, after they were handed over, the security in-charges at the university took no action as some of them were seen in the campus again.”

He said that the alleged poachers entered the university mainly through the entrances near Masjid Banda gate, HCU bus depot, TNGO office and from the Aparna Sarovar side. Another claim of Mr Ravi is that a man by the name Ashok, who was handed over to the security in-charges at the university twice, was seen with a pack of stray dogs, one of which can be seen in the video of dogs killing the deer, raising suspicion that the dogs are trained.