Another gaur is suspected to have fallen victim to poaching in the O’Valley region in Gudalur, marking the third reported instance of gaur being poached in the Nilgiris in recent months.
According to officials, the forest department was informed about poachers targeting gaur ahead of the Ramzan feast, as the meat was highly sought after in Gudalur and Kerala, and they put staff of specific regions on high alert since April 8th. On April 11th, officials discovered the carcass of a gaur with hunting marks on its hide, indicating an attack with sharp objects around its neck.
Further inspections revealed signs that a portion of the animal was consumed by a carnivore, with scratch and bite marks observed near its hind legs. A postmortem was conducted following the discovery of the carcass.
Initial suspicions pointed to the use of a gun to kill the animal, as a puncture wound was found. However, officials said the puncture hole in the carcass was caused not by a bullet but a sharp object and the wound had not caused the animal’s death.
“Though there is evidence seen on the body of human hunting, the animal also displayed carnivore marks on the body,” a statement from the forest department stated. Officials said although it seemed highly likely that the gaur was hunted by humans, the perpetrators had escaped. An offence under the Wildlife Protection Act has been registered, and authorities have complied a list of suspects.
This is the second reported instance of a gaur being poached in Gudalur and the third in the Nilgiris district in recent months.
