Niali, June 30: The series of mystery killing of sheep continued with the elusive and yet to be identified creature taking the lives of two sheep and injuring two others in the wee hours of Friday close to Niali.
According to sources, Bibhuti Pradhan of the locality found his two sheep dead and two others critically injured by unidentified creatures. Even two more sheep are still missing. Similarly, the creature also attacked the sheep of Rabi Sahu from the same village and injured two sheep critically.
The forest officials rushed to the spot after the reported attack by the mysterious creature but the angry villagers detained the officials at Niali and demanded immediate capture of the killer animal.
The detained officials are Krushna Chandra Bastia (forester), Rohit Kumar Behera (forest guard) and Golekh Chandra Mahali (forest guard).
On receipt of the information of detention of forest officials, Niali inspector-in-charge Gajendra Behera and forester of Phulnakhara stepped in and restored order. The police officials also searched for the creature by bursting crackers in the nearby forests but could not trace the mysterious creature.
The state government Friday announced that suitable compensation would be provided to the sheep owners who had lost their sheep.
Fisheries and animal resources development minister Damodar Rout said, “As the villagers have incurred terrible loss following the sheep death, the state government is mulling to pay compensation to them. It would be either paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or State Disaster Response Fund.”
A decision on the quantum of compensation to be provided to them will be taken only after the district administration submits a detailed report on the sheep-killing, Rout said. PNN
Killer animal claims two more sheep in Niali
