The Green View Golf Resort authorities have given 50 Chitra deer they reared at the facility to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur. Of them, 22 are adult deer and 28 are fawns.
The deer were handed over to the safari park through the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, and Dhaka Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sharmin Akter received the deer on behalf of the park. The transfer procedure was free for the safari park.
Bulbul Islam, land advisor of Green View Golf Resort, said that the deer were given to the park as a courtesy.
“Many will be encouraged through this gesture. The value of the deer provided to the park is about Tk1 crore. We applied to the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division on August 24 last year for the transfer of the deer to the park. We got the permission in September of the same year,” he said.
“Green View Golf Resort has been farming deer for over a decade, following necessary guidelines and rules. Deer reproduction takes place rapidly if they are given proper care and a favourable environment. Keeping in mind the growing number of visitors to the safari park, 50 deer of different sizes have been handed over to the park,” he added.
The grandsons of Fakir Monizzaman, managing director (MD) of the resort, gave the deer to the safari park on behalf of their grandfather, the official further added.
Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of the park, said: “The animals are kept in a confined space in the safari park, and visitors are free to roam around. The deer roam around within an area. While staying at the resort, the deer were kept in a specific enclosure. Now the deer will be in a wider space. In this way, the diseases of the animals will be reduced. The deer will first be kept in a shed in quarantine for at least 15 days to see if there is any disease. Then, if they are healthy, they will be released into their enclosure.”
DFO Sharmin Akhter said: “Deer are fast breeding animals. The Green View Golf Resort authorities have also given the deer to the government without selling or donating them anywhere. We want other institutions to come forward with the same interest. Deer will always roam in the safari park, and visitors will enjoy the view. It is as much an honour for them as it is for us. This is an excellent initiative.”
