The Forest department has launched a drive to chase a wild gaur that attacked a man in a human habitation at Spring Valley, near Kumily, in Idukki on March 29 back into the deep forest.
According to officials, Mullamalayil M.R. Rajeev, 46, was returning home around 11 a.m. after attending a Good Friday procession at Spring Valley Kurisumala when a wild gaur attacked him. He was grievously injured in the attack. He was initially admitted to a private hospital at Kumily and later shifted to a private hospital at Pala.
“The man is under ventilator support in the hospital,” said a Forest department official.
Meanwhile, Chief Wildlife Warden D. Jayaprasad ordered the gaur to be identified, tranquilised, and translocated deep into the forest.
Kottayam Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) N. Rajesh said that the Spring Valley area borders the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady, and animals often venture into human habitations. “The Forest department had identified the animal with the assistance of a drone camera and driven it back to the forest fringe. If the animal returns, we will take steps to tranquilise it. The forest officials are monitoring its movements round the clock” said the official.
Meanwhile at Sinkukandam, near Chinnakkanal, a cow was seriously injured in an attack by a wild elephant on Friday. According to local residents, Olappurakal Thankachen, a resident of Sinkukandam, and his wife took their cow for grazing at a nearby grassland when they noticed wild tusker Chakkakompan approaching. Though Mr. Thankachan and his wife managed to escape, the tusker attacked the cow. The dairy farmer said the cow was the family’s only source of income.
Another wild tusker Padayapa arrived at the Thaluk headquarters area of Devikulam on Friday. It did not cause any damage.
