Cuttack: After a long hiatus, reports of mass killing of sheep have resurfaced from Niali in Odisha’s Cuttack district. The death of 29 sheep, belonging to two local residents, have triggered panic in the area.
According to sources, a farmer of Gunadola Thakura Pokhari Sahi under Kantapada block lost 9 sheep on Monday night. “We heard braking of the dogs around 1 am and saw a black shadow inside the enclosure. Ten more sheep were injured in the attack,” said the farmer.
A few days back, 20 sheep of another farmer were found dead in the same village.
Following the repeated killing of the sheep, worried farmers have appealed to the forest department to take measures against the marauding animals. They have also demanded compensation for their loss.
It may be recalled that Niali had witnessed similar mayhem in 2017. The killing spree of sheep by mysterious animal/s was first reported in June that year. In two months time, over 250 sheep were killed in the the region. The expert team of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had then put to rest all speculation about the sheep-killer of Niali by suggesting that all evidence pointed to a wolf.
In April, 2021, mystery animals created chaos in the neighbouring Balipatna block, killing a few sheep.
