A barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) was allegedly beaten to death by locals in Juri upazila of Moulvibazar on Saturday.

This sparked outrage after a video of the incident went viral on social media yesterday morning.

The video showed the lifeless deer lying on a riverbank, surrounded by a crowd of children and teenagers.

Upon receiving information, forest department officials arrived at the scene, recovered the deer’s body, and took it to a livestock hospital at the upazila headquarters.

Doctors found injury marks on its head and confirmed the animal had died. The forest department later buried the deer in a nearby forest.

Nazmul Hossain, range officer of Juri Range of Forest Department, said initial reports suggested the deer had been struck by a stone during the chase.

However, further investigation confirmed it was beaten to death with sticks.

“We are conducting a detailed investigation, and appropriate action will be taken,” he said.

He further said the barking deer likely entered the area from the nearby forest in search of food.

Barking deer primarily feed on grass and leaves, and are classified as “Least Concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.