KOCHI: A day after a wild gaur attacked and killed two elderly persons at Kanamala near Erumeli, chief wildlife warden Ganga Singh issued an order to identify, tranquillise and translocate the gaur if it returns to the village. Meanwhile, Kottayam DFO N Rajesh said the gaur has been located deep inside the forest and patrolling has been strengthened in the area.
“If the gaur returns to human habitation it should be chemically immobilised under the supervision of the assistant veterinary officer of Kottayam and Thekkady and released in the deep forest by ensuring minimum trauma to the animal. The entire exercise should be carried out under the supervision of chief conservator of forest (High Range) and Kottayam DFO, adhering to the protocol issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,” the chief wildlife warden said in the order issued on Saturday.
“Our trackers have located the gaur and it is roaming in the deep forest. There is no chance of it returning to human habitation immediately. But we are keeping a tight vigil. The rapid response team, including veterinary officers, has been deployed. If it returns, we will dart it and translocate it to the core area of Periyar Tiger Reserve,” said DFO Rajesh.
According to him, the behaviour of the gaur on Friday was unusual. “We doubt the animal was frightened. Maybe it was chased by a tiger. We are yet to find out the reason,” he said. Meanwhile, the forest department transferred Rs 5 lakh each as the first installment of solatium to the bank accounts of the families of the three victims on Saturday.
The funeral of the victims was conducted on Saturday. Three persons, Chackochan, 65, of Purathel House, and Thomas, 60, of Plavanakuzhy House, Kanamala in Erumeli, and Samuel Varghese, 64, of Kodinjal Kunnuvila Veedu at Edamulackal near Anchal in Kollam district, were killed in two separate wild gaur attacks on Friday morning.