Mysterious Deaths of Wild Boars Trigger Panic in Kundapura and Byndoor Forest Fringes

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Kundapura : A sudden and unusual spike in the deaths of wild boars across several forest-edge villages in Byndoor and Kundapura taluks has sparked widespread anxiety among local residents. A series of wild boar deaths has been reported in forested areas spanning Ramanagara, Kembailu, and Tenkabailu in Nada village; Shivanagara in Senapura; Sasihittu, Hospital Premises, Kalikamba Nagar, Vandre in Aluru village; Kunda Barandadi in Hannadi; Ajra; Chittoor; Iduru Kunjadi; and Kollur. Because wild boars are typically resilient and highly immune animals, their sudden and suspicious fatalities have raised major concerns. In most instances, the carcasses are discovered only after they begin to decompose, leaving nearby residents distressed by the overwhelming stench.

Investigating the cause of death has become a formidable challenge for the forest and veterinary departments, primarily because the carcasses are found in advanced stages of decay. This decomposition makes it nearly impossible for veterinarians to perform autopsies or collect viable blood and organ samples for forensic examination. Experts note that this is the first time such a mass die-off of wild boars has been observed in the coastal region. While the exact trigger remains unknown due to the lack of fresh samples, a local veterinarian suspected that the mass fatalities might have been caused by dietary issues or the consumption of contaminated water.

While acknowledging that decomposed carcasses have been found in areas like Nada and Aluru, Kundapura Range Forest Officer Raghavendra Naik stated that there is no official record of a mass die-off yet, urging the public to immediately notify authorities upon spotting any carcasses. Meanwhile, Dr. Arun Kumar Hegde, Assistant Director of the Veterinary Department in Kundapura, explained that their team conducts post-mortems and collects samples based on forest department alerts. He confirmed that a recent autopsy on a carcass in the Nada region yielded no usable samples due to extreme decomposition. Authorities emphasized that fresh samples are critical, as they need to be sent to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals in Bengaluru to precisely determine the source of the outbreak.