As per the reports, Mahendra saved a baby wild boar while the animal was being swept away in flood water 25 years back and took the animal with him. Since then, the wild boar has become very much part of Mahendra’s family. Though the boar goes to forest, it comes back after a while.
Moreover, the wild boar eats whatever Mahendra feeds him. He never eats anything given by other people.
Interestingly, the Forest Department officials have left the animal twice in the forest so that he could live in his habitat, but the animal has always made his way back to Mahendra’s home.
“The wild boar is with me for more than 25 years. He goes to jungle but comes back to me. He is set free to roam wherever he wants. Forest department tried to leave the animal in suitable habitat, but in vain. Currently, he is living in a temple. When I take his name, he comes to me. When I had rescued the animal, he was weighing 400 gram. He could have died if I had left the animal in the jungle after rescuing. So, I took him with me and got him treated,” Mahendra said.
He continues: “The animal eats whatever I eat. He even eats temple bhog, fruits and authentic dishes of Odisha like rice and dalma. He never eats non-veg. He has grown up amid villagers for the last 25 years. Thus, he never harms fellow villagers.”
“The animal which had sneaked into the locality lying on the fringe of Chandaka wildlife sanctuary, might have attacked them in self-defence after being frightened by human presence”, said Divisional Forest Officer, Chandaka forest range, Kedar Kumar Swain.
The strayed wild boar was later captured by the Forest staff who released it in its natural habitat inside Chandaka wildlife sanctuary, he informed.
Stating that the condition of the three injured persons at the Capital Hospital is stable, the DFO said the Forest department will bear the cost of treatment of the injured persons. Besides ex-gratia compensation grants amounting to Rs 5,000 will be provided to each family of the injured persons as per Odisha Forest Department Rules.
There are past instances of acts of straying by elephants into the outskirts of the capital city. However, the incidence has come down in recent years after the Forest department installed fence barrier at strategic forest-side spots which were prone to animals’ intrusion. Trenches have also been dug out to keep the elephants at bay.
However, straying of wild animals like wild boar as it was reported today is few and far as they are scared to venture into places of human habitations, added the Forest official.
According to sources, the injured persons were first admitted to Athagarh hospital. Later, two of the five injured persons shifted to Cuttack as their health condition worsened.
Also read: Wild boar hacked to death
Being informed about the incident, forest officials rushed to village. The animal died while the forest officials were attempting to drive it away.
The incident occurred yesterday when Budhadeb Bera (22) was returning home after working in his field.
Also read: Elderly man attacked by wild boar in Odisha
Bera was critically injured and was hospitalised.
The forest department was bearing the cost of treatment of the injured person, the DFO said adding, ex-gratia compensation would be disbursed to the injured person's family.
Forest personnel have begun maintaining a night watch in the village. The villagers have been advised to avoid movement during night, added forest officials.
The incident took place when the man was returning home after taking a bath in a pond yesterday.
"Niranjan Jena was critically injured in the attack and was hospitalised. The forest department is bearing the cost of his treatment. Besides, ex-gratia will be paid to his family," Divisional Forest Officer Bimal Prasana Acharya said.
"The area where the incident happened is close to mangrove forests and animals often stray into the village," Acharya said.
Also Read: 5 injured in wild boar attack in Dhenkanal
"Forest personnel have been keeping night watch in the village in the wake the incident. The department has set up two night-vigil squads and the residents have been advised to avoid moving out at night," the forest official said.
The carcass of the male boar was recovered from the village and it bore multiple injury marks yesterday. Its abdomen was ripped apart following lethal attack by local residents. The animal had strayed into the villages from the forest areas lying in the vicinity of the village. The body of the slain boar has been sent for post mortem to ascertain the exact cause of the animal s death, officials said.
The rogue animal had reportedly injured several persons since past one month after it had strayed into the villages.
From preliminary investigation, it has become apparent that the animal was killed in retaliatory attack by locals. The animals might have sneaked into the village to eat crops and standing vegetable plants as the village is located in close vicinity of forest areas and habitation corridors of these animals said Forest Range Officer, Mahakalpada forest range under Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, Bijoy Kumar Parida.
"As the animal that was killed comes under protected species, we have registered case under sections- 9, 27, 29 and 35 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The offenders who killed the animal would be arrested shortly. People have no right to take law unto their hands even though animal-induced damage caused to them", he said.
Forest personnel are maintaining night watch and vigil in the village as people have registered complaint of acts on straying by boar and deer species. The department has constituted two night-vigil squads to drive away the wild animals. The villagers have been advised to avoid movement during night, said forest officials.
The department has decided to ensure animals' safety in mangrove habitat of the wildlife sanctuary while curbing the act of straying into village areas by animals. The acts of straying by the deer into places of human habitations greatly expose them to poaching threat, they said.
All the five injured have been admitted to the hospital and are stated to be stable.
According to reports, a wild boar strayed into the village from nearby Chandaka-Damapada forest and attacked the villagers.
Soon after the incident, the villagers of Dulanapur staged protests and blocked the Jatamundia-Khurda road by burning tires.
The agitating locals demanded the concerned administration to bear the medical expenses and security from the animals that often stray into their village from the nearby forest.
It has been over a year since Kuntala lost her younger daughter to illness. But the wild boar calf that came running to her at the funeral of her daughter made her rethink the priority. She could either shed tears on the untimely death or as she herself terms it, embrace the new guest in her life as God's own way to fill her bosom again with maternal love.
She chose the latter and brought home the calf after naming it Dhuda to nurture it as one of her own. As time flew, the calf drew attention from all around, ultimately spelling doom for Kuntala as the forest department came searching for it and took away Dhuda from her custody to set it free in the jungle just seven days back.
"I had raised it from infancy. Who will not get hurt if somebody snatches away her child all of a sudden," said a weeping Kuntala.
Kuntala's elder daughter Rajashree Penthei posed some questions at the department too. "Dhuda was with us from the beginning. It does not know how and where to search for food. And it is particularly dangerous for its survival in the wildfire that has been raging in the jungles all across Odisha," she said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the wild boars (Sus Scrofa) are protected under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act in Odisha and thereby it is completely illegal to either kill or keep it as a pet.
Kuntala lost her child again, but this time to the forest officials who assured her that Dhuda will be taken care of and will be kept under observation.
Speaking to OTV, the Range Officer of Telkoi forest range, Pramod Kumar Sethi said, "To become emotional is natural, but her concerns about the boar's food are not true. They are wild creatures and they know perfectly well how to survive in the jungle."
But for a mother who poured all her love and affection to that creature, it was no less than a cruel separation that the government forced on her.
"They have neither any empathy nor love for the boar," she lamented accusing the forest officials of taking away her child.
https://youtu.be/0X-QgdqGMCE
(Edited By Pradeep Singh)
Emotions flew wild as Kuntala, Dhuda's caretaker, could not hold back her tears after finding her beloved 'pet' return after eight days of separation in the woods.
As per reports, some villagers spotted Dhuda limping in the jungle some 25 kms away from the village in Kamalang reserve forest and informed Kuntala Kumari Penthei who had brought up the boar from its infancy in the comforts of her home.
A crestfallen Kuntala and her daughter Rajashree immediately rushed to the jungle after getting information about Dhuda's whereabouts and found it limping on one leg. The estranged hungry 'pet' was immediately fed its favorite raw rice by the mother-daughter duo. After regaining strength Dhuda started following Kuntala back home, sources said.
Thanking OTV for airing the news about Dhuda, Swosti Penthei, the son of Kuntala said, "I would like to thank OTV for Dhuda's return as people came to know about the incident and the animal's plight after the news channel aired it. Locals informed us its whereabouts and finally we got united today."
"I want the government to make provisions for Dhuda to live along with us," demanded Swosti.
Similarly, Kuntala's daughter Subhashree could hardly hide her smile getting her Dhuda back. "Dhuda had not eaten all these days. He was weak and limping on one leg. When my mother fed him, he ate all the rice in the box and followed us home."
"Given the impunity in which poachers are hunting down wild boars, the jungle is not safe for him. I had even observed a fast on Shivratri for his safety. So I want him to stay with us with due permission of the government," she said.
However, the fact remains that keeping a Scheduled III animal which is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act is illegal and Kuntala's family knows about it. But all legalities were deemed trivial for a mother when it comes to her child. Dhuda is a classic case for the government to weigh its options carefully. The reported injury suffered by the boar suggests that the jungle is not a safe place even for a wild animal reared in human care.
The Ranger of Telkoi Forest Range said, "I know the boar has returned to its masters in the village. Appropriate steps will be taken in this connection after discussion with my superiors."
It is worthwhile to mention here that, Kuntala had brought up the wild boar from its infancy when it came running at her during the funeral of her younger daughter a year back. Since then Dhuda has been a permanent member of the household until the forest department took away the wild boar to release it in the jungle nine days ago.