HYDERABAD: An Indian Bison, which fell into an agricultural well near a village in
Warangal rural district, was rescued by forest officials on Friday and shifted to
Nehru Zoological Park in the city. A crane was used to lift the animal up from the well. Locals spotted another gaur in the area too, but its location is yet to be traced.
Gaurs move in small herds in
Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary in
Bhoopalpally Jayashankar district.
On Wednesday, the sarpanch of Geesugonda village informed officials that two gaurs had strayedintothe village.
The gaurs may have come from Pasra, Laknavaram forest, and had entered the village via Nallabelly. The gaurs attacked a farmer at Namugonda village, injuring him. He was admitted to MGM hospital, Warangal.
The Forest Range Officer’s (FRO’s) strike force and FRO Warangal Rural teams have started search operations, but the gaurs could not be located until Thursday. Information was then received from Penchikalpet in Atmakur mandal, about a toddy tapper who had sustained a hand fracture when he was attacked by a gaur, and that while running away, the gaur slipped and fell into an open agricultural well.
A team from Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad also rushed to take part in the rescue operations. A crane was used to drop ropes into the well and the gaur was rescued on Friday morning. First aid was given to the bison and a lower jawbone fracture was suspected. The gaur is now reported to be fine at the Nehru Zoological Park where it was brought to.
Forest officials said generally wild animals stray from forest areas due to fights amongst males for leadership and also during mating chases. Sometimes, the search for food and water also leads them astray. An adult maleisdark black and a female is brown. They weigh about1tonne to1.5 tonnes.
The rescue operation was led by Purshotham, DFO Warangal Rural; assisted by Ramesh, FRO Warangal rural;
Lakshmi Narayana FRO strike force; Punnamchander, FRO Zoo Warangal. Two rescue teams one led by Dr Hakim from Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad, and D Praveen of Kakatiya Zoo, Warangal, also participated in the recus operation.