Tiruppur farmers in jitters as strays prey upon sheep
TIRUPPUR: Farmers are worried after more than 100 sheep were killed and many were injured by dogs in the past few days. Not only sheep, but other cattle were also attacked by dogs in the district.
SK Kolunthaiappan, a farmer at Salaipalayam in Uthukuli, said, "I had more than 30 sheep in my farm. I was shocked to find that 10 sheep were killed and five sheep were injured by dogs. The attacks by dogs have increased in recent times. Though it is not my primary source of income, sheep helped us survived when we were financially weak. This is a big loss for me."
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association (Tiruppur) Secretary R Kumar said, "For the past one month, a lot of farmers were affected by dog attacks in the district. As compensation for cattle death is not available, they face financial losses."
Assistant Conservator of Forest (Tiruppur) K Ganeshram said, "After the villagers informed us about the dog attacks in Udumalaipet, we stepped up vigil. We installed more than 15 CCTV cameras in the region and found that more than 10 dogs are roaming in the area and attacking other animals. The post mortem report of the sheep also showed that dog bite was the primary reason for death. The animal husbandry and local officials must intervene on the issue."
Joint Director - Animal Husbandry Department (Tiruppur district) Dr A Parivendan said, "Street dogs, mixed breed dogs, and wild dogs become unpredictable when they form packs or groups. Their behaviour changes in desperate situations such as hunger. They attack other animals not just for food, but also for fun. The farmers should strengthen their fencing systems to keep their cattle safe."