Kollam: A 68-year-old man was gored to death by a wild gaur on Kollam–Shencottah interstate highway near Kulathupuzha early on Thursday. The deceased was Basheer, a resident of Kunnilpurath.Kulathupuzha Police said the attack occurred around 6am when Basheer stepped out of his house and was walking along the highway. A gaur suddenly charged at him, and he died on the spot, the police said.The incident came to light after an autorickshaw driver noticed Basheer lying in a pool of blood on the roadside and alerted the police. They have registered the case under the provision for unnatural death.Residents said the presence of gaurs had been reported in the locality since Wednesday night. A herd of around six was first seen near a roadside workshop, while a gaur reportedly damaged its gate before crossing the highway. Around 5am , residents spotted another group of nearly 13 gaurs, including calves, moving through a nearby area before the animals headed towards the road.Locals alleged that gaurs had been frequently entering the area for the past two months and forest officials have not taken any preventive measures yet.After forensic examination, the body was shifted to Parippally Medical College Hospital for postmortem. Station house officer Ajesh supervised the inquest proceedings.Punalur MLA C Ajayaprasad, local body representatives and leaders of various political parties visited the spot. Residents demanded that the authorities take immediate measures, including intensified surveillance, rapid response teams and barriers along vulnerable stretches of the highway, to prevent further human-wildlife conflict in the area.
