Last night, Forest department received information from sources that Jayanta Baruah, an employee of GEL Church, had caught a rare deer which took shelter in the church complex after coming from forest due to heavy floods and sold its meat, Assistant Conservator of Forest Jasim Ahmed said.
Sonitpur Forest Division (West) conducted a rescue operation at Bishop House complex in GEL Church near Bamuni Hill under Tezpur Sadar Police Station and recovered the deer's skin, horns and its head buried there, Ahmed said.
Meanwhile in Biswanath Chariali, villagers and forest officials today rescued three deers and later released them in the nearest forest.