Another gaur attack in Kerala, 55-year-old man seriously injured

A couple of days after three persons were killed in two separate attacks by gaurs, a 55-year-old man was seriously injured on Sunday in a similar incident in a tribal colony, 23 kilometers from Kuttampuzha here, police said.

Vellappankunju, who lives in a tribal colony in Kunjippara here, was out with three of his friends when the gaur attacked, an officer of Kuttampuzha police station said.

The incident occurred around 5 pm and Vellappankunju was seriously injured with a broken leg and suspected internal bleeding, police said and added that he was taken to a government medical college in Kalamassery. The others who were with the victim were not injured, the officer said.

"Such attacks often happen there as it is a forested area. Three months ago a person was killed there in a gaur attack," the officer said.

On Friday, three persons were killed in two different incidents of attack by gaurs at Erumeli and Anchal in Kottayam and Kollam districts respectively.

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Following the attacks, State Minister V N Vasavan had said the government will provide compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the three deceased.

On Saturday, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) -- the apex body of the Catholic priests in the state -- said effective measures were needed to control wildlife entry into inhabited areas.

KCBC president Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis, in a statement, asked the government to prepare effective measures and laws to control the entry of wild animals into inhabited areas and prevent attacks on humans.

He also said that there were doubts among the people as to whether the government was viewing the wildlife attacks on humans in Kerala with due seriousness.