PONDA: Keeping watch over wild bulls and driving them away from his plantation proved too costly for Enu Pandurang Solyekar, a 55-year-old farmer from Shivdem in Dharbandora.
Solyekar was found dead late evening on Wednesday, presumably after he was attacked by a wild bull.
According to Ponda police, the incident took place late evening on Wednesday, some 50-70 metres from house of Solyekar where he was guarding his plantation consisting of consisting of banana, pineapple and coconut.
Solyekar’s widow Prema told the police that her husband told her in the morning that he made unsuccessful attempts to drive away a bull which had barged into the plantation. And when the bull came to attack him, he quickly climbed onto a tree to save his life. Later, in the afternoon, she had gone to her workplace, leaving Solyekar alone to guard the plantation. Since she didn’t find him home on her return, she went to the plantation searching for him, where she found him dead at around 8 pm.
Ponda police conducted a panchanama, sent the body to GMC for a autopsy and later handed over the same to the family for performing final rites, which was held at 3 pm on Thursday.
The incident has caused panic among locals prompting them to demand that the bull be caught immediately. The people have threatened to lead a morcha to the forest office, if the wild bull is not caught.
Taking serious note of the death of Solyekar in a wild bull attack, Dharbandora Sarpanch Vinayak Gawas and local Panch Surekha Velingkar have also asked the Forest Department to catch this wild bull, immediately. According to Sarpanch Gawas, since this is cashew season, fear has gripped the locals after the bull attack. Meanwhile, locals informed that since Dharbandora is surrounded by forests, many wild animals stray into their fields destroying their crops and plantations.
Shivdem is home to 40-50 houses and Government High school.
