KRISHNAGAR, Feb. 12: At a time when the critically endangered White-rumped Vulture Gyps, who were once a common sight in West Bengal, have indeed made a self-styled effort to be re-colonised in the Banguria forest near Bethuadahari Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) in Nadia, hectic preparations are on to catch the spotted deer inside the sanctuary for its census after a long gap of seven years. The deer census, eighth of its kind in the BWS under the state forest department's Sundarban biosphere circle, encompassing a total area of 66 hectors, will begin from 13 February and continue up to 15 February. A similar census will also begin in the Bibhutibhusan Wildlife Sanctuary in North 24-Parganas from the same date. The state wildlife department will conduct the census in the two sanctuaries under the supervision of the divisional forest officers to ensure the deer count is as precise as possible. According to the Nadia-Murshidabad divisional forest officer Ms Lipika Ray, the forest officials will follow the traditional Direct Counting Methodology (DCM) for the deer census. The entire forest will be divided into five to six transit lines. Each survey team comprised of two to three forest officers headed by the beat officers will make their way along a transit line that penetrates the forest. The data from the fieldwork would be analysed with the help of computers before estimating the deer population. The Nadia district forest officers said, "Besides jackal, Bengal fox, porcupine, common langur and pythons, the Bethuadahari sanctuary has a large population of spotted deer or Cheetal. The spotted deer, which is the most common deer species in Indian forests, commonly occur in herds of 10 to 50 individuals comprised of one or two stags and a number of females and young. They are often fairly tolerant of approach by humans and vehicles, especially where they are accustomed to human disturbance.' While answering a question, the DFO, Ms Ray said, "450 deer were in 1991 census while the number came down to 299 during the census in 1998. The 2001 census, which was the last deer census held here pegged out the figure at 170.