COIMBATORE: Residents of Subramaniyampalayam have raised concerns over the rising stray horse menace on the roads. The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) is impounding stray cattle, but it does not have people with expertise in catching horses.
“Despite raising the issue with civic officials, no action has been taken so far. The stray horses scare pedestrians, motorists and even cause mishaps on roads. The owners who abandoned their horses must be identified and slapped with hefty fines. The CCMC officials must press charges against them under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” R Parthiban, a resident said.
Ward 15 councillor P Santhamani of Congress told TNIE that they are unable to find the owners of abandoned horses. She said some horses are usually abandoned if they are injured or if a foal is born without a birthmark on its head.
“Some say the owners are living in the Kavundampalayam area. We tried to hire horse tamers near VOC Children’s Park, but none showed up or offered assistance. The City Health Officer (CHO) and the zoo director have suggested taking criminal action against the owners and are also seeking assistance from the police considering traffic disruption. We don’t want an Arumbakkam-like incident here.”
CCMC commissioner M Prathap told TNIE that recently the civic body inducted specially designed hydraulic trucks to catch stray cows on roads but couldn’t do the same with horses. “We neither have experts in catching horses nor do we have suitable places to release them.
However, we’ll find a solution and take appropriate action soon,” he said. Besides, according to sources, over 100 stray dog bite cases are being reported in the CMHC every month, indicating a rise in their population. Apart from stray dogs, the population of stray cows, horses, donkeys, and buffaloes has also increased in recent months.