Around 30 frontline staff of the Forest Department were on their toes from Saturday morning after a gaur that strayed from forest was found wandering around places in the suburbs of Coimbatore. The search for the bovine was continuing on Sunday evening in places around Saravanampatti.
The Forest Department said that the gaur was first spotted at Sahara City near Keeranatham. Soon, a total of 30 staff were sent to the location to monitor the animal and to prevent people from getting close to the animal.
The staff were informed around 8.30 p.m. that the gaur was spotted at Vinayagapuram, near Saravanampatti. They rushed to the place for surveillance.
Though it was dark, the staff continued to monitor the animal in places such as Saravanampatti, Vilankurichi and Kalapatti till 4.30 a.m. However, the staff lost sight of the gaur after it moved inside bushes growing on the sides of a stream flowing between Saravanampatti and Kalapatti.
The field staff continued their surveillance in places around Saravanampatti and Kalapatti throughout the day. Yet, the animal remained elusive.
According to the Forest Department, forest veterinary officer A. Sukumar was stationing in Coimbatore to monitor and assess the gaur’s condition. Senior officials including Conservator of Forests S. Ramasubramanian and District Forest Officer T.K. Ashok Kumar, were supervising the search operation.
