KARWAR: Interfering in the food chain has proved costly for the villagers of Basapur in Uttara Kannada district. Trying to rescue a fawn from the jaws of a python , villagers ended up with a dead snake and deer , and now face jail.The curious chain of events began on Thursday morning on the outskirts of the village in Mundgod taluk. Villagers spotted a python, about eight feet long, swallowing a fawn.By the time they gathered, the baby deer had been swallowed up to its stomach. It was flailing about unsuccessfully and villagers were moved. They felt they should “rescue” the poor creature. They tried to pull the deer out but the python’s jaws were clamped tightly. The villagers then thought it fit to bring sticks and smack the python on its head.A crowd of villagers rained blows on the python and it died within minutes. The fawn was pulled out too. This outcome might still have brought some joy to the villagers but it was not to be. The fawn too had died due to suffocation. With two carcasses by their side, villagers realised they were in danger now.Having heard of the “intervention”, forest officials reached the spot. Villagers tried to convince them that they had acted out of good intentions and meant to save the helpless deer.Forest officials lodged an FIR against 16 of the villagers under sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and IPC, carrying jail sentences and penalties.All the accused are untraceable. Forest officials have taken the carcasses in their custody.

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