Kanamala residents restive as forest dept. decides to tranquillize wild gaur instead of killing it

Forest dept. order says the bison that gored to death two persons will be chemically immobilised and released to the deep forests by ensuring minimum trauma to it. Local people want the animal killed and threaten to resume strike if the department goes back on its earlier assurance

The body of Thomas Plavinamkuzhiyil, who was gored to death by a wild bison on Friday, being brought to his home at Kanamala on Saturday.

A day after an aggressive wild gaur killed two persons, an uneasy calm prevailed at Kanamala on Saturday as the authorities went back on their decision to kill the animal and tranquillise it instead.

In an order, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden has granted permission to ‘chemically immobilise the problematic animal under the supervision of the assistant veterinary officer in Kottayam and Thekkady and release the animal to deep forests by ensuring minimum trauma to it.’ The bison had gored to death two persons, identified as Purathel Chackochan, and Thomas Plavinamkuzhiyil on Friday.

“The chemical immobilisation and release of the gaur should be carried out under the supervision of the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), High Range Circle, Kottayam , with the assistance of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kottayam,” it read.

Decision overturned

The order, however, also marked a sharp departure from an earlier order issued by the Kottayam District Collector to shoot the animal. The order, invoking Section 133 (f) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, had entrusted the District Police Chief, Kottayam, to authorise a person to shoot the animal. Issued in the face of a raging day-long protest staged by the residents of Kanamala, this decision now stands overturned.

The new order has further enraged the local people, who want the animal killed. “We ended our protest following an assurance that the animal will be shot down. The authorities should fulfil their promise or else the protest will resume,” said Mariyamma Sunny, president, Erumely panchayat.

Case against 45 persons

Adding to their concern, the Erumely police have registered cases against 45 persons, who staged a protest against the Forest department following the killings.

The Forest department is yet to trace the animal, which has vanished into the deep forests. “Our Rapid Response Team and forest veterinarians from Thekkady are camping at the location to meet any emergency situation,” said N. Rajesh, Divisional Forest Officer, Kottayam.

The episode has once again drawn intervention by the Catholic Church that holds a considerable sway in the villages here. Mar Jose Pulickal, bishop of the Kanjirappally diocese, and INFARM, an NGO functioning in the agriculture sector under the Church, have reacted sharply against the ‘continuing apathy of the authorities towards raging wildlife attacks.’