When Hunter Gets Hunted! Hunters Group Open Fire At Endangered Bison, Animal Gores One To Death
In a classic case of the hunter becoming the hunted, a man was gored to death by an Indian Gaur (bison) after he opened fire at it.The incident happened inside the Kurangani forest in the Theni District of Tamilnadu, near the state's border with Kerala.?
Three men, identified as Mariappan, Shaju, and Rajesh all residents of Idukki district in Kerala had trespassed into the Bodi Reserve Forest for an illegal hunt on Sunday.Inside the forest, they came across a herd of Indian Gaurs and Mariappan opened fire at one of them.
After waiting for some time, Mariappan approached the fallen animal to check if it had died. But to the shock of the hunting party, the Gaur launched itself on to the hunter, leaving him seriously injured.The two others who initially fled the scene after seeing their friend being trampled, returned to the spot after the Gaur had gone and took Mariappan to a hospital in Theni and later to the Theni Medical College, where he was declared dead on arrival.?
Mariappan's accomplices had told the doctors that he had fallen from a tree, but the medics who became suspicious informed the Theni Police.By the time police arrived the duo had fled to Kerala. The cops in Theni then contacted their counterparts in Kerala and the two men were arrested from their homes on Monday.?
Illegal arms including country-made rifles were recovered from the two accused. Upon interrogation, the two arrested men have admitted that they had trespassed inside the Kurangini forest and that Mariappan was killed by the bison.?
Kurangini forest was in the news in March 2018 after 23 people were burned to death in a wildfire there. They were part two unauthorized trekking team who had gone inside the forest without the knowledge of the authorities and had camped there in the night. Following the fire, the Tamil Nadu government had banned all trekking activities in the state between February 15 to April 15.?
Bison are the largest species among the wild cattle, reaching a shoulder height of up to 220 cm and can weigh around 600 kg to 1500 kg. The beast is also known for being super agile for its massive size and can run at speeds of 56 km/h.?
Due to habitat loss and huntings, Indian Bison is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
It is also listed in the Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, which means that the animal is provided absolute protection.The minimum imprisonment for hunting a bison is three years which may extend to seven years, with a minimum fine of Rs. 10,000.
