SANGUEM: Man-animal run-ins have been on the rise in Sanguem’s remote villages over the past several months, particularly along roads that traverse the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary.
The worst affected area is the Rivona and Sulcorna belt, where sightings of bisons during the evenings have now become commonplace, instilling fear in villagers who return home during those hours from a hard day’s work.
One such incident occurred at Sulcorna late on Christmas night this year, leading to two members of a family sustaining injuries after the van in which they were travelling hit an electricity pole because the driver was trying to avoid ramming into a bison.
The family was returning home from Ponda when, on reaching Sulcorna, Babu Gaonkar from Netravali village who was driving the van, saw a herd of bison crossing the road. He tried to avoid hitting the bison, but lost control of the vehicle, ramming it into a roadside electricity pole causing simple injuries to himself and his wife, Nayani.
Sources said Nayani sustained some head injuries and is recuperating at the South Goa District Hospital.
Earlier this month, a leopard pounced on three vehicles at Rivona, causing injuries to two locals. It was subsequently trapped by foresters and released elsewhere. Prior to that, a youth died on the spot after his two-wheeler collided into a bison during nightfall.
Distraught and scares locals here have been pleading with the forest department for some measures to avoid such accidents from taking place in the area, but they say their cries have fallen on deaf years.
