Giving a swift response to the attack on domestic goats, slaughtered by unknown predator at Senapati, the Senapati Forest department together with Wildlife Institute of India visited the site of attack on domestic goats and a dog.
According to Stephen Kadena, proprietor of a farm where he rare around 38 goats stated that he lost 5 goats on December 29 last year, followed by another lost of 8 goats till January 2 this year. The carcasses of 3 goats were found on New Year including a domestic dog estimated to weight around 30 kgs. The proprietor mentioned that all the carcasses bore the same marks where all of the domestic animals were left eaten except the rib and chest parts.
Briefing the media persons, D. John Sha, MFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Senapati Forest Division stated that the forest department received reports of domestic goats to have been slaughtered by unknown predator in an area some 8 kms from district headquarters, Senapati.
Giving a swift response, the district Forest officials together with the Wildlife Institute of India team conducted spot enquiry where the livestock were killed. As per report, 13 domestic goats went missing since December 29 last year but could identify only three carcasses of the goat near a place at the lower portion of the hillock including one dog at different place which belong to the same owner.
The main objective for the visit of the team was stated to identify what exactly had killed the goats by unknown predator. Scat sample were also collected by the visiting team and reported to have sent to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for further identification. Some pugmarks were also seen but it wasn’t very clear. The team installed camera trap nearby the carcasses. The camera will be kept at the spot for about a week to ascertain the movement and identify the predator.
Research Scholar from the Wildlife Institute of India stated that presence of leopard is not ruled out with the recent burning of the Dziiko range.