Nilgai mauled by pack of dogs inside Suncity

Gurgaon: A nilgai was found injured inside the Suncity township in Sector 54 early on Wednesday.
The animal was attacked by a pack of dogs and left badly bruised. The nilgai, which had strayed into the township from the nearby Aravali ranges, was unattended for about two hours till residents spotted it in the courtyard of a house and informed the veterninary hospital.
The injured nilgai seems to have been part of a herd that frequently crosses over into the township premises, according to residents.
"Nilgais come here every night after 11. They are a common sight as there is no boundary wall surrounding the township," said VMK Singh, RWA general secretary. Residents found the nilgai, estimated to be about four-months old, at 4am, with one of its fore legs broken and bleeding .
"It was in a pretty bad condition, with one front leg broken. There was a lot of blood, and it was unable to get up on its own. We gave it some water and immediately called the hospital and wildlife department," added Singh. Her condition is very bad and her front leg had to be amputated. She is refusing to eat anything and has only 10% chances of survival," said Rajesh, an attendant who picked up the nilgai from Suncity.
A van from the People for Animals hospital picked up the nilgai at 7 am. "She has lost a lot of blood. She is currently under intensive care. Her chances of survival are bleak," said Karamveer, who operated on the nilgai.
Sunil Harsana, a wildlife activist, said animals are straying in search of water. "The temperature is rising, and watering holes are drying up. This will force wild animals to move out of their natural habitats in search of water. It's during this time that accidents take place - either they get hit by cars or chased by dogs," said Harsana. He believes there are more than 1,000 nilgais around Gurgaon.
The rapidly depleting Aravali forest cover has forced animals like leopards, jackals and nilgais to stray into city areas. According to environmentalist Amina Shervani, young animals are usually the ones who get hurt, as they do not know how to respond to city noises. "Better wildlife management to deal with wild animal encounters and focused attention on saving biodiversity is the need of the hour," said Sherwani.