PONDA: Panic gripped Palsare Wada of Ponda’s Querim village on Friday morning after a woman was attacked by a bison when she set out for the hills to forage for mushrooms.
She was, however, saved by the timely intervention of her brave sister.
Nisha Tukaram Satarkar, who was accompanied by her sister Suman and the family’s three dogs, was looking for mushrooms when the dogs sensed the presence of a bison and went charging towards it.
The agitated bison retaliated by chasing the dogs back, which led it to where Nisha was. Before she could escape, the bison had dug its horn into her right leg and dragged her for at least three metres.
She would have been further injured had Suman not chased the bison with a koita (chopper), threatening to attack it. After the bison retreated, Suman rushed Nisha home to administer first aid, following which she was taken to the primary health centre at Betki. She received 21 stitches on her leg and was discharged.
The free movement of bison in Querim’s Amadi and Palsare areas has created an atmosphere of fear among the people for whom horticulture and kulagars are the primary means of livelihood.
Farmers have been complaining of the large-scale damage to their crops and the consequent financial losses caused by the wild bovines.
