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On July 16, the forest division moved a hostile Indian bison from Indapur to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Chandoli. This is the first relocation of a bison of this kind in Pune district, according to officials.
The bison had remained in Indapur since the pandemic, but last year it turned more hostile and caused extensive damage, including losses of domestic animals and crops.
According to Ashutosh Shendage, an assistant conservator of forests with the Pune forest division, "During the lockdown, a group of Indian bison left their natural habitat and migrated to Indapur via Baramati-Saswad and resided there for a few days."
"A male bison was left behind and settled near Indapur while the others went back to their original environment. But with time, he started acting more aggressively. Conflict in the Indapur tehsil resulted from bison moving close to human habitat because they started attacking domestic animals in the area, according to Shendage.
The forest agency decided to start an animal rescue expedition after getting several complaints from locals, he claimed.
Along with members of the RESQ Charitable Trust, the department's quick rescue team helped begin the rescue effort on July 15. To prevent a gathering at the rescue location, the team barricaded the area. The bison was given anesthesia with the aid of a dart gun.
The department finally succeeded in successfully catching the bison after four hours of work. The bison was securely transported to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Chandoli on July 16 after being carefully examined for its physical condition, according to Shendage.
According to Eco Rescue Daund member Gayatri Rajgurav Awdhani, "We have received numerous complaints from people of Indapur regarding bison attacks on domestic animals and crops. According to reports, at least 15 buffaloes have been hurt and over seven have died as a result of attacks by bison in the past year. Residents became alarmed as a result of these instances.
People in Indapur would feel glad now that the bison has been captured and relocated to its natural environment, he continued.
