Staff Reporter
Ponda
The movement of a large Indian Bison (Gaur) in Ponda town on Tuesday night has caused widespread panic among residents, following a deadly attack witnessed in the nearby Bondbaag of Bethoda village in December last year.
Forest officials said that a team led by RFO Deepak Tandel was able to chase the bison back towards the forest area near Shantinagar, but locals remained fearful with some having spotted the bison in the town since last week.
The bison was first seen roaming in Warkhande near the Ponda Fire Station before making its way through the Ponda-Panaji main road and into the Ponda Upper Bazaar area. Locals alerted the Forest Department, which responded swiftly. “Our team managed to chase the bison back into the forest area adjacent to Shantinagar,” said Tandel.
Shantinagar is a neighbouring area to Bondbaag, where a woman was killed in December 2024 due to a bison attack.
Locals alleged that the same group of bison is now moving towards the town through Shantinagar, possibly due to the wildlife protection trench dug by the Forest Department in Bondbaag. This has led to a shift in the animals’ movement patterns, with the bison heading closer to residential areas.
Residents said that they had observed the bison in the town for several days and recorded videos of its movement on Tuesday night.
Activists have raised concerns about the destruction of forest areas, which they believe is contributing to the increased presence of wildlife in urban areas.
Sandeep Parkar, an environmental activist, criticized the government for de-notifying private forest areas, allowing construction in forested regions. “Development in the Bondbaag-Kazarwada area of Bethoda and even in Curti-Khandepar has been rampant, and significant portions of forest and cashew plantations have been damaged,” Parkar said.
