The brutal mass killings of sheep by unknown creature have again returned to haunt Odisha shepherds. After creating havoc in Niali area of the district last year, the recent horrific deaths of sheep in Baranga area of the district has spread panic among people in the nearby locality.
While as many as 17 sheep were killed in Narala village under Baranga police station area on Saturday night, two more sheep were also found dead in the same village on Tuesday morning. The incident reminds of the June-July 2017 Niali episode where over 150 sheep were killed over a period of eight weeks.
According to reports, the mass killings of the domesticated animals in both Niali and Baranga appeared to be similar. The sheep are found dead with their abdomen slit and viscera spilled. The dead animals also have deep wounds in their necks, say the shepherds fearing that some wild animals are killing the sheep when they are asleep.
Despite strong vigil by forest department personnel fitting CCTV cameras and adequate lights in the sheep sheds in Niali last year, the mystery behind the mass killings could not be unraveled. Repetition of the same incidents again at Baranga this year has put the district administration and the forest department personnel in tenterhooks.