Manipur Scientists rule out predator involvement in some livestock killings

IT News
Imphal, Dec 5,
 
Wildlife experts investigating into the mysterious slaughter of livestock in Manipur have ruled out the involvement of any predator in some incidents in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
The experts were, however, still clueless to the string of attacks and killing of livestock in other places and claims of sighting the unidentified creature particularly in valley areas.
A team of experts from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been camping in Imphal and investigating into the incidents of mysterious killing of livestock.
The slaughter of livestock started from hill district of Churachandpur where the first incident was reported in Chiengkawnpang village on October 27 after a large number of chickens and ducks were found slaughtered with its mutilated carcasses left behind.
Officials of the state veterinary department investigating into the series of killing of livestock in Churachandpur district, in its preliminary report, suggested that the domestic animals might have been killed by predators having sharp teeth.
However, Wildlife Institute of India scientists opined that the domestic animals might have been killed by human beings as the carcasses bore no teeth marks and they were ripped open very cleanly.
They further ruled out involvement of any predator in the recent killing of a cow and dismemberment of a cow’s horn at a village in Kangpokpi district.
However, chief conservator of forest (CCF) Anurag Vajpayee said, police would examine some cases of killing domestic animals in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
Regarding the series of attack on livestock in valley districts, the CCF said that experts from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun camping in Imphal along with the officials of state forest department have laid camera traps at various places in their efforts to identify the predator(s).
Wildlife forensic experts in the WII team have suggested that wolves may be behind the killing while citing similar incident in Odisha last year. However, Vajpayee ruled the opinion saying that wolves are not found in Manipur.
Wolf dogs are found in Nagaland but it is very rare in Manipur, he said, adding that the experts were studying whether the killings are perpetrated by jackals or pet dogs.
The experts were also studying whether the predators were leopard cats or jungle cats, he said.