BHUBANESWAR: Even as sheep-killing continues in Niali and Bhanjanagar, a two-member team of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) arrived here on Friday to make field visits and ascertain the animal behind the spate of deaths.
Scientist Dr Salvador Lyngdoh and research scholar Sougata Sadhukhan met Additional PCCF (Wildlife) PK Mohan, where they were briefed about the sequence of events. Lyngdoh and Sadhukhan are experts in lesser carnivore species like wolf and jackal.
During the meeting, the duo was provided reports of injury to the sheep, pictures of kills as well as traps prepared by the Forest Department.
Sources said, the two experts said the large number of killings within short intervals was not a normal behaviour of wolves or jackals. However, they felt that consumption of soft tissues and visceral parts as well as preference of sheep over goat or calves of cattle was normal.
They also queried about the traps set by the Forest Department and wanted to know how the animals responded to it.The WII team also went through the details of the young animal which was captured from Niali and released at Nandankanan Zoo. While initially, it was dubbed as a young wolf, chances of it being a hybrid of wolf and dog is not ruled out. Blood and hair samples of the animal will be collected for genetic analysis.
The team has also decided to collect saliva samples if fresh kills are reported. The meeting was attended by RCCFs of Berhampur and Bhubaneswar as well as DFOs of Ghumsar (North), Chilika, Khurda, City Division, Cuttack, Athagarh and Baripada.Veterinary officer of Wildlife Trust of India’s mobile unit at Baripada Dr Chang Mai was also present.