Three persons were killed in two incidents of wild gaur attacks reported from Kottayam and Kollam districts on Friday.
In the first incident, two persons, identified as Purathel Chackochan, 65, and Thomas Plavinamkuzhiyil, 60, both natives of Kanamala, near Erumely, were gored to death by a rampaging bison around 8 a.m. Chackochan was killed while he was tapping rubber trees at a plantation near Attivalav, while Thomas was attacked at his house while reading newspaper.
In the second incident, Samuel Varghese, 65, of Edamulakkal, Kollam, was killed in a similar manner. He was at a rubber plantation at the back of his house. Though he was rushed to a private hospital, his life could not be saved.
The gaur, driven away by residents, was found dead later. Varghese, an expatriate, arrived in Kollam on Thursday night and was attacked while talking to a rubber tapper.
The Kanamala incident triggered widespread protests, a farmer settlement on the Western Ghats. Local people blocked traffic along the busy Erumeli-Pampa road for more than eight hours demanding a government order to shoot down the bison. They also sought immediate compensation for the family of the dead.
A large contingent of police was deployed in the area to maintain law and order. The mob also turned against forest officials, alleging lapses on their part in averting wild animal attacks, drawing an intervention by the police.
They refused to relent even after District Collector P.K. Jayasree, at the instance of Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan, issued an order to shoot down the aggressive animal.
As the people continued their agitation, the District Collector arrived at Kanamala and explained the government decision. “The government has announced ₹10 lakh each for the family of the dead persons. Of this, ₹5 lakh will be transferred to the bank account of those concerned tomorrow itself. We will submit a request to the State Cabinet for additional financial assistance for the two families,” she said.
Mr. Vasavan and Revenue Minister K. Rajan too reached Kanamala during the day and met the kin of the victims.
In addition, an order was issued under the Cr.PC giving permission to forest and police officers to shoot down the aggressive bison if it entered human inhabited areas till 10 a.m. on Monday. A rapid response team of the Forest department from Ranni would be deployed in the region for strengthening surveillance, the Collector said.
Meanwhile in a related incident, a wild gaur triggered panic when it strayed into a habitation at Vettukadavu, near Chalakudy.
