Forest dept officials blamed for bison's death

Activists and Twitterati on Wednesday blamed the forest department officials for the death of the Indian Gaur (Bison) which was tranquilised twice during a five-hour-long operation on Tuesday.

“The entire operation exposed the lack of preparedness to handle the situation,” National Environment Care Federation (NECF) general secretary H Shashidhar Shetty said.

The wild animal suffered from fatigue after making many attempts to run away from people. Adding to the woes of the Gaur, the forest officials too gave a hot chase and finally tranquilised it. “Besides, the forest department does not have any veterinary doctor in the region, except in Bannerghatta and Shivamogga range,” Shetty told DH.

“After tranquilising the animal, a nylon rope was used to tie its legs and it was taken in a vehicle to be released inside the forest in Charmadi. The animal would have felt suffocated and died eventually,” he added.

Environmentalist Dinesh Holla said, “The wild animal that strayed into the city accidentally, was awarded the gift of death. Authorities should have drawn a meticulous plan to catch it. One should tranquilise looking at the animal’s strength to bear it.”

Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Karikalan denied any role in the killing of the Gaur. “One dose was divided into two to ensure that the tranquiliser did not harm the Indian Gaur. We also drenched its head in the water. But once inside the forest, it collapsed and died,” he said.

“The post mortem report will reveal the exact cause behind the death of the Indian Gaur,” he said and added that all precautionary measures were taken while catching the wild animal.

An expert doctor, who knows about wild animals, fired the darts. He had also tranquilised the leopard in MRPL, the DCF said.

A veterinary doctor from Charmadi veterinary clinic, who conducted the postmortem has cited cardiac arrest as the reason behind the death of the wild animal, a source
told DH.

There were no injuries on its body. There was a blood clot in the animal’s heart, the source added.

Vikram, senior scientific officer at Pilikula Biological Park, said, “The wild animal would have died of capture myopathy after it ran and suffered from fatigue.”

Another Indian Gaur

Another Indian Gaur was found near Ashoknagar on Tuesday night. The officials formed teams to closely monitor the movement of the Gaur since Wednesday morning.

“It had crossed the river in Kuloor. We are hopeful that it will return to its habitat and not come to Mangaluru,” DCF Karikalan said.

Complaint against DFO, RFO

Social activist Jerard Towers has filed a complaint with Bharke police accusing the divisional forest officer and regional forest officer of using unscientific methods to catch the Indian Gaur (Bison) which had strayed into Mangaluru on Tuesday.

Towers said that he has filed the case unable to bear with the death of the wild animal and urged the police to initiate stringent action against the forest officials.