The post-mortem report into the death of an Indian Gaur which had strayed into Mangaluru city on May 5 has said that it died due to “shock with cardiac failure.”
V. Karikalan, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Dakshina Kannada, told The Hindu that the government veterinary doctor from Charmadi conducted the post-mortem. The report has mentioned the cause of death as “shock with cardiac failure (cardiogenic shock),” he said.
The animal had died after it was let into the forests in Charmadi Ghat in the Western Ghats after it was darted, tranquilised and captured in the city.
Following this, another Indian Gaur was spotted in the city on Wednesday. It was seen last taking shelter in a semi-forest area spread over 100 acres behind Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd (MCF), Panambur, on Thursday. It has not been spotted since then.
“We have kept four cameras in two places to track its movement. In addition, we have also used a drone to find out the location of the animal. But it has not been sighted since Thursday evening,” Mr. Karikalan said on Saturday.
The DCF said that since the area had a water source and abundant grass and other greenery, fodder and water are not an issue for the animal. It is not yet clear whether the animal has returned to its natural habitat on the outskirts or still stayed in the sprawling semi-forest area.
The priority of the department is to ensure that it returns to its natural habitat on its own. A veterinary doctor of the Forest Department who has arrived from Shivamogga is still camping in the city in case of any emergency, he said.
