Cow bites crude bomb kept for wild boars, seriously injured

Coimbatore: A cow sustained serious injuries after it bit a crude bomb (outtukkai) placed by poachers to kill wild boars at Kallar in Mettupalayam, forest department sources said.
The six-year-old animal, owned by A R Mohammed Jaffar Ali of Mettupalayam, had gone missing from his farmland at Sengalpadugai in Kallar four days ago. Ali, who was searching for the cow, found it near a stream at Kallar on Saturday with fractured jaw.
Forest department officials checked the injured animal. The Mettupalayam forest range officer registered a case and formed a team to nab those who planted the bomb.
Poachers often plant outtukkai in the area located just two kilometres from the reserve forest to hunt wild boars, Ali said. “I often find the explosives while herding cattle. They are strong enough to injure or even kill people. So, police and forest department should take action against the culprits,” he said.
District forest officer D Venkatesh submitted a detailed report to district superintendent of police Ara Arularasu two days ago about crude bombs that endanger the lives of wild animals. “We collected information about outtukkai makers and handed over the list to the SP. We hope he will take action against them,” Venkatesh said.
Poachers hide the bomb in meat or fruits to lure wild animals, forest department officials said.
A 10-year-old male elephant that suffered mouth injuries after biting a crude bomb kept by farmers to kill crop-raiding wild boars died in Anaikatti in June. In May, forest department officials arrested three men on charges of poaching a wild boar using a crude bomb in Periyanaickenpalayam forest range. The officials seized six outtukkai from them and registered a case.
A constable of the prohibition enforcement wing of the rural police was injured after a crude bomb exploded during a raid at a brewing den in Annur in April.