NILGIRIS: An Indian male gaur was found dead with bullet injuries at Kundha forest range on Thursday. According to sources, the animal was found on the road to Kateri dam with a injury on its head.
Upon receiving information from passersby, a team led by Nilgiris DFO S Gowtham visited the spot. The official said that they recovered a metal and rubber bush from the animal’s head. Postmortem examination revealed that the animal was four years old.
“We are investigating the case as a possible shooting incident. We suspect the animal was shot from a close distance. There is less chance of poaching as the incident happened on the roadside. We are also investigating whether animal was shot dead by someone in self defence when it attacked them,” an official said. “We have searched hotels in the area to check for the entry of suspicious elements and also checked CCTV cameras,” said a forest department official.