Goa Minister wants killer bisons tranquillised, relocated

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday demanded tranquilisation and relocation of a herd of bisons which gored two women to death in Sattari sub-district in the past two months.

"It is a serious matter. Two women have died in a matter of two months in Sattari, after bisons attacked them. The wild animals should be tranquillised and relocated as soon as possible, so that there is no more harm to life in the remote villages," Rane, also an MLA from the region, told IANS on Monday.

On Monday morning, a 25-year-old woman Pujan Melekar, a resident of Melavli village died after being attacked by a bison.

On June 6, 44-year-old Jyoti Gaonkar was gored to death in her cashew-nut plantation in Kankire village.

"There is a herd of four to five bisons moving around in these villages. I am a wildlife lover myself. But they need to be relocated," Rane said. He has sent a note to to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on the issue.

Whenever such incidents occur, like a tiger going into villages, the animals are tranquillised and relocated in other areas, he pointed out. Bisons are consistently entering the village of Kankrie, endangering people's lives and causing hardships, Rane said.

The great Indian bison or the gaur is not only the state animal of Goa, but also the official mascot for the FC Goa football team.

Former Goa Forest Minister Ramesh Tawardkar had said that bisons should be declared as vermin and culled, but the proposal was widely criticised.

--IANS

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