Villagers and wildlife activists suspect that the animal could have died due to urea poisoning. Urea is a fertilizer widely used by farmers, and is available at subsidized rates. Poachers might have left behind the head of the animal after killing it through poisoning.

The incident comes in the backdrop of as many as six tiger deaths being reported from the Nagarahole and Bandipur region. The reason for most such casualties has been snares and other traps.

The death of the deer from MM Hill sanctuary, according to wildlife activists, is a wake-up call as urea poisoning could be a way employed by poachers to kill animals for extracting their skin and other body parts.

Wildlife enthusiast Shankar said poachers have resorted to using this readily available fertilizer as a way to hunt wild ungulates.

"Urea when added to water is colourless, odourless and easily soluble. Only the faint smell of ammonia liberated gives away the addition of this fatal chemical to water. An animal that drinks water saturated with urea will experience an increase in ammonia levels in blood and die of poisoning, almost immediately. With summer fast approaching and pockets of standing water available, poisoning of such water holes with urea can prove to be disastrous, not only to wildlife but also to livestock several of which have been reportedly killed by drinking such poisoned waters in the MM Hills region," he added.

Sundar M, range forest officer of Hoogyam in MM Hills, under whose jurisdiction the village falls, said he is yet to get details about the deer death.

"Recently, a few goats have died after consuming water having urea content near Nakkundi village. We are keeping a watch on the water bodies in the area to prevent such misdeeds," he added.

According to experts, deer, chital and other tiger prey are falling victims to urea poisoning and other poaching technique practised locally. The practice leaves no trace of its usage. The forest department must take strict action to stop this, they said.