Banki: There has been no let-up in sheep killings in the state. Two more sheep were found killed and three critically injured, while eight sheep are missing at Banki NAC Ward-15 of Cuttack district Friday. After Niali, this was the second such incident reported from Cuttack district.
The sheep were found killed in a manner similar to the past killings. Their intestines were torn apart by the killer (animal). While forest officials have failed to unravel the mystery behind the sheep killings in Niali, the reports about sheep deaths from Banki added to the tension and panic of locals and sheep rearing farmers.
Only one sheep has turned out to be the victim of the mystery animal(s) while other domestic animals remained safe. Such mystery killings were reported also from Jagatsinghpur, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj.
The unidentified animal(s) entered the sheep pen of farmer Pabani Behera and killed two while three more sheep were found critically injured late Thursday night. Meanwhile, eight more sheep were found missing from the pen. The matter came to the light after locals spotted the carcasses of the sheep with their intestines torn apart and their liver eaten by the mystery animal(s). Many more sheep were hurt in the attack, the victim farmer said.
Locals were curious as to how the animal(s) strayed into the pen although it was locked. The animal(s) had managed to escape after killing the sheep. Hundreds of locals thronged the spot as the news spread like wildfire. Locals tried to find out the whereabouts of the mystery animal(s) but to no avail. They were suspected to have escaped to nearby hills after killing the sheep.
Damapada block veterinary officer Swarup Ranjan Mahapatra reached the village and made arrangements for treatment of the injured sheep. He also conducted a post-mortem of the carcasses and buried them in a forest.
The incident caused fresh outrage among the local farmers as no official had turned up in the village. Worried over the safety of the other sheep in the village, residents demanded that the forest department and the district administration take necessary precautionary steps fast. PNN