Berhampur: Even as forest officials are yet to find reasons behind the mysterious killing of sheep in various parts of the State, death of four goats has spread panic in Berhampur in Ganjam district.
Locals alleged that the goats were killed by unidentified animal(s).
After reports of the killing of sheep surfaced in Niali of Cuttack district, similar incidents were reported from Bhanjanagar, Mayurbhanj and Nayagarh. However, the killing of goats has come as a fresh challenge for forest officials. Despite a team from Dehradun launching the probe, they are yet to find the reasons.
The killing of goats emerged when some youths spotted the carcasses of four goats with their intestines pulled out by mystery animal(s) near the local burial ground at Sitadhimira Sahi in the town. This is the first such report of goat killings in the State, locals said.
According to sources, farmers Pinku Hati and Kumar Mardangia of Sitadhimira Sahi used to leave their eight goats in the burial grounds every night because they don’t have a proper shed. As usual, the two farmers left their goats at the burial grounds and went to their houses Friday night.
Next morning, four of the goats were spotted dead with their intestine dugged out while their livers were also missing. The unidentified animal(s) also had slit the throats of goats, locals said.
“Mysteriously, the unidentified animal(s) have only eaten the liver of goats without eating its flesh,” locals said, adding that they also had sucked their blood. They did not consume the flesh of goats.
On being informed, Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Asish Kumar Behera along with his team visited the place and launched a probe under circumstantial evidences. The carcasses were seized and sent for post-mortem.
Assuming that the animal(s) would attack more goats, a team of forest officials were pressed to guard the village at night. Necessary steps will be taken after the arrival of post-mortem report, Behera said. PNN
