Bhubaneswar: Where officials fail, dogs step in. With the special team of the forest department continuing to grope in the dark and are unable to identify the killer behind the Niali sheep killing incidents, the villagers captured a female jackal with the help of a pet dog Sunday.
Sources said the pet dog of a villager overpowered the jackal during a search operation. “We spotted four wolf-like creatures at nearby forests, but they managed to escape. We however captured the jackal,” said a villager.
Animal rights activists opined that search operations by the villagers have to be stopped since they are taking law in their in hands. “If this search operation is continued, the villagers will use this as an excuse to hunt for wild animals. This should stop. Although we have strong laws, we are not able to enforce them,” said Biplab Mahapatra, an animal expert.
A special team from Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) reached the spot and took hold of the captured animal and put it under treatment at NZP. “The jackal is being treated at the isolation ward of NZP. The dorsal portion of the animal was found to be weak. Currently, it is under observation of the zoo veterinarian,” said deputy director, NZP, Jayant Dash. Some senior officials of the forest department, requesting anonymity, expressed their concern and said things were getting out hand.
“The villagers are conducting search operations with sticks and crackers. This animal they captured may not be the one behind the killings of sheep. Our staff are also at risk by the actions of the villagers. We are trying our best to manage the situation. If this is continued, villagers would capture and even kill more animals,” said a top forest official. Meanwhile, in new attacks, two sheep were found dead at Sudhanagar Saturday night. Villagers claimed that a pack of wolf-like creatures entered the backyard of Kanan Kishore Bhol and killed the sheep.
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