A cow in Andhra Pradesh died after eating a snare set up for a wild boar, succumbing to injuries three days later. The incident took place in the Kogileru village of Peddapanjani mandal in Chittoor district.
According to reports, the cow, named Lakshmi, had eaten explosives wrapped in food material meant to kill wild boars, on June 27. The cow was being taken care of at a shelter named “Gow Matha Peetham”. The caretaker of the shelter Arjun Reddy told Hindustan Times that the crude bomb, which exploded in the cow’s mouth, led to infections, which festered.
Arjun Reddy had reportedly taken the cow out for grazing in an open area on the outskirts of the village, when it came across the snare. Times of India reported that veterinary doctors at different hospitals in the nearby town of Tirupati could not save the cow’s life. The cow died three days after the incident, on Wednesday. The cow's funeral was reportedly conducted according to Hindu rituals.
The Peddapanjani police told HT that they have arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the incident. The accused have been booked under sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) and 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle) of the Indian Penal Code, and the relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the Explosives Act.
The death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala’s Palakkad district under similar circumstances earlier in June had turned the spotlight on the illegal, yet common practice of farmers setting up snares involving explosives, to keep wild boars away from damaging their crops, or in some cases, to hunt them for meat.
In the case of the pregnant elephant, officials said that the snare used was a coconut filled with explosives, and was intended to kill wild boars for meat.