Gaur fAlls into well, rescued

Warangal: One of the two Indian Bisons (Gaur) that strayed into human habitations was found in agriculture well at Penchikalapeta village of Atmakur mandal of Warangal Rural district on Thursday late evening hours.  

The villagers, who found the animal in an abandoned open well with a depth of about 30 feet, have alerted the forest department. Following which rescue teams comprising Dr Hakeem of Nehru Zoological Park Hyderabad and Dr Praveen Kumar of Kakatiya Zoo Park, Warangal rushed to the village on Friday.

They administered tranquilizer to the animal and hauled it out safely using a crane in a three-hour rescue operation after pumping out the water in the well. Dr Praveen Kumar said the rescued animal sustained minor bruises, besides fracture in the jaw.

Chief Conservator of Forests M J Akbar informed that the three-year-old animal suffered severe injury on its lower jaw. After administering first aid on the spot, it was shifted to Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad for further treatment.

He further said that the two Bisons might have wandered away from natural habitation in Pasra forests and moved into human habitations through Nallabelli into Geesugonda. Soon after spotting them, two search parties were deployed to trace out the animals.

Warangal Rural district forest officer K Purushotham said, after the injured Gaur, which weighed about 600 kilograms, recovers it might be brought back to Kakatiya Zoo Park or might be released into its natural habitation.

The department teams were engaged in finding the whereabouts of another Gaur, which was still on the loose, he said, adding Gaurs were categorised vulnerable and schedule one wildlife under Wildlife protection Act, 1972. International Union for Conservation of Nature (UNCN) red listed them since 1986.

Forest range officers Ramesh, Lakshmi Narayana, and P Punnamchander took part in the rescue operation. It might be recalled that one of the Gaurs attacked a farmer G Laxminaraiah on Wednesday at Manugonda and he was being treated at MGM Hospital.