KOZHIKODE: The scary dairy farmers at Mandarathur in Maniyur grama panchayat have started setting up preventive covers at their cattle sheds against the attack of an unidentified animal.
The rabies-infected animal had killed 14 cows since September 4 in the area, and it is still at large. “Animal husbandry department had advised farmers to set up temporary preventive cover preventing the animal from entering the cattle shed. Many had set up shield cover using iron rods,” said Shahabath Joona, the ward member.
The forest department had fixed camera traps on trees at Cheruvanathazha in Mandarathur two days back, and the same would be inspected later. “The cameras would be inspected in the weekend. No daily inspection was carried out as no new deaths were reported since the last two days,” said Kuttiadi forest range officer Neethu K.
Though the department had earlier set a cage trap with bait in it, it didn’t attract the animal. Meanwhile, no concrete measure has been initiated for a compensation package, and it had invited the wrath of the farmers whose sole livelihood had been lost.
“Some have other sources of income. But farmers like us are solely depended on our cows, and we are in deep distress now,” said Kunhiraman Edachery, who lost his cow.
Adding to the woes, no dairy farmer had insured their cow which meant they have to suffer a significant loss in monetary terms. Now the only hope is to get an amount under animal husbandry department’s contingency fund which is meagre.
The panchayat, reacting positively, has decided to set aside money from its fund. Meanwhile, the incident has triggered dairy farmers to bring their livestock under the insurance cover. The animal husbandry department has been conducting seven insurance camps in the panchayat and farmers are thronging them.
