Thiruvananthapuram: Three people were killed in wild gaur (Indian bison) attacks in separate incidents in Kottayam and Kollam districts of Kerala.
After the death of two people in Erumeli, locals organised massive protests, following which Kottayam district collector directed authorities to take immediate steps to shoot down the rogue animal.
The victims in Kottayam district were identified as Chackochan, 65, and Thomas, 60, of Plavanakuzhi. Thomas succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment on Friday.
Meanwhile, an elderly man died in an attack by the gaur in Kollam district. The deceased, Samuel Varghese, 60, was a native of Edamulakkal. The attack took place on Friday morning when he had gone out to meet a rubber tapper.
The gaur charged at him and gored him to death. Varghese, who had returned from the Gulf on Thursday night, sustained grievous injuries to his stomach.
In another incident, a gaur entered a residential area in Chalakudy of Thrissur district. However locals gathered in the area raised an alarm, after which it ran away.
Local MLA Saneesh Kumar Joseph urged the authorities to tranquilise and capture the gaur to allay the fears of the people.
Forest officials said as a first step they will drive the animal into the forest. A team of forest officials are camping in the area.
