NILGIRIS: The Gudalur forest division officials have formed a special team and begun an investigation into the suspected hunting of a gaur that happened a few days ago at O-Valley forest range.
Sources say the poachers used a sharp object to kill the animal as a mark was found in its neck. However, officials confirmed the animal was not killed using a gunshot. The poachers did not take the animal’s horn and meat.
This is second killing of a gaur at O-Valley forest range in Gudalur forest division in the last three months and third incident in the Nilgiris district in the last seven months.
Venkatesh Prabhu, the District Forest Officer of Gudalur, said “The forest range staff were on alert since April 8 as we have got a specific tip-off that the poachers may target gaur during Ramzan holidays.
“We have tightened up the security measures wherever gaurs are found in the range. However, on April 11, our team found a carcass of the gaur with marks on the animal’s neck indicating use of sharp objects. However, the back of the carcass had been eaten by carnivores and had scratch and bite marks.
“Initially, we thought that the animal could have been hunted using a gun shot since there is a puncture hole in the animal carcass. However, during the postmortem it was found that there is no presence of pellets and the puncture hole is due to a sharp object. It was also found that the puncture hole is not very deep that is just 3 cm and it is not the reason for the animal’s death,” said the DFO.
“The animal meat was not taken by the poachers. The investigation process has been going on discreetly,” said the DFO.
The team headed by the Assistant Conservator of forest (ACF) and O Valley range officers have been formed and they are investigating suspects and obtaining their call data records.