JAGATSINGHPUR: Unlike the fortunate cows who even enjoy ambulance service in some parts of the country, bulls of many villages in Jagatsinghpur district are an abhorred lot. Attacks on bulls are on the rise in these rural areas where destruction of paddy and vegetable crops by the male bovines is a regular affair.
On Monday, tension flared up in Benupur village here after locals found two bulls injured in acid attack. Villagers found the animals writhing in pain and informed the district administration. A team from the Veterinary department rushed to the spot and rescued the injured bulls. Sources said some unidentified miscreants poured acid on the bovines a couple of days back.
Chief District Veterinary Officer Premananda Rout said as the condition of the bulls is critical, the department has handed over the injured animals to People for Animal, a Bhubaneswar-based NGO, for better treatment.Secretary of People for Animal Amulya Nayak informed that the two injured bovines are under the care of a veterinary surgeon and experts at Bhubaneswar. The bulls have sustained severe burn injuries on their tail and back. The animals will take at least two months time to recover, he said.
Nayak termed the attack as an inhuman act. While cruelty against animals, especially bulls, is on the rise, no action has been taken to curb the attacks, he said.
Though the acid attack is a first in the district, bulls being assaulted with swords and other sharp weapons has become a regular affair in the region. ‘’Last year, our team had rescued four injured bulls that were attacked by miscreants,’’ the animal activist added.Meanwhile, members of local unit of Bajrang Dal strongly criticised the attack on the bovines and demanded stringent action against the culprits.
Police said in such type of incidents, a case could be registered and action taken against the accused as per the provisions of Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act, 1960. However, no one has lodged a complaint with the police over the Tuesday’s attack on bulls.
Sources said bulls, calves and monkeys have become a headache for villagers as the animals frequently stray into farm lands and destroy paddy and other vegetable crops. In order to save their crops, the locals are attacking the bulls.Some locals attributed the rise in this man-animal conflict to illegal grabbing of grazing lands by villagers. With the grazing land shrinking fast, the bovines are forced to stray into agriculture fields in search of food, they added.