JOWAI: A group of stray dogs have allegedly hunted and killed several wild animals inside Khloo Blai Tuber – a community reserve forest Sein Raij Tuber in East Jaintia Hills.
Sources informed that a group of stray dogs from nearby villages including Tuberkmai Shnong, Tuber-Shohshrieh, Wapungshnong and even from Chyrmang village have been seen inside the forest.
“These dogs have killed several wild animals inside the forest particularly deer,” informed Sein Raij president Helping Phawa. A villager from the area informed that these stray dogs have taken shelter in the thatched huts constructed by coal labourers and after the ban on coal mining the labourers have left for their respective states, leaving the huts behind. These stray dogs have found a good shelter inside the sacred forest to kill wild animals and feed on them. “This has been happening for the last two years. However, only recently it was brought to the knowledge of the Forest department wildlife division,” Phawa said.
The DFO (Wildlife) on Friday held a meeting with the chairman and members of the community reserve forest, Sein Raij Tuber, headed by veterinary doctor Dr. W. Ryngkhlem to find a solution to the stray dog menace.
The DFO confirmed that the death of wild animal inside the forest was due to stray dogs. “In April we had recovered a deer carcass from near the sacred forest and when post-mortem examination was conducted, it was confirmed that the animal had been hunted down by stray dogs,” she added.
