20 deer found dead after 'eating poisoned fruits' in south India

Mahabubnagar, IndiaAt least twenty deer were found dead in a field in India's southern Telangana state today.

The matter came to light when locals in Mahabubnagar district who came across the dead deer reported it to the authorities.

Residents believe the animals died after consuming pesticide-laced fruit lying on the ground.

"Since sometime, strong winds have been blowing in this region, due to which fruit have been falling from trees. The deer must have consumed those. Probably because of pesticides and other chemicals in them, about 20-25 deer died," said Neeraj, a local.

However, some claimed it is possible the deer consumed harmful substances at another place and died by the time they reached the field.

"About 20-25 deer have been found dead. Deer can walk up to five kilometers after eating food, so there is a chance that they consumed pesticides in some other field," said a farmer, Ramesh.

Cases of wild animals straying into human settlements are not uncommon in India. More often than not, they are killed either accidentally or by people.

(Reuters)