Mumbai: Bull pulled out from drain inside IIT-B dies

Rescuers from two NGOs were left dejected after a bull they saved following a four-hour-long rescue operation died in the wee hours of Monday.

Locals said the bull was stuck in the drain since Saturday evening

The animal had fallen into a four-foot-deep stormwater drain inside the IIT-B campus on Saturday evening, and was rescued from there the next night. The injured bull was rushed to the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals hospital in Parel, where it succumbed to its injuries.

NGO volunteers secure the bull during the rescue operation, to prevent the animal from injuring itself or rescuers

Blaming the animal's owner for carelessness, activists have now demanded action against all bovine owners who leave their animals to graze anywhere without proper supervision. The fact that the bull was trapped inside the drain first came to light after the on-campus security staff spotted it. One of the staffers then informed the NGOs RAWW and SARP about the trapped animal. Soon, their volunteers reached the spot.

Expert speak
Kaushal Dubey from NGO SARRP said, "After reaching the spot, we saw that a sub-adult bull had fallen into a narrow stormwater drain near hostel number 1. The animal had injured itself during his attempts to jump out. Locals told us that the bull had fallen into the drain on Saturday. Our members, along with those from RAWW, informed the fire brigade about the trapped bull. It was they who came and pulled the animal out of the drain and rushed it to the BSPCA hospital for treatment."

He added, "I don't understand how bulls and cows can roam freely inside the campus when grazing is strictly prohibited. Stringent action must be initiated against owners who let their animals loose inside the campus for grazing." A volunteer from RAWW said the animal was injured and traumatised to such an extent that it was unable to stand properly.

"It is very important to implement and regulate laws to protect animals from exploitation and cruelty. While the accident was unfortunate, the owner must be held responsible for whatever happened because it's a clear case of negligence towards his or her ‘so-called' property. Cattle and pets should be micro-chipped so that such incidents can be prevented in future. By doing so, owners of the missing or abandoned animals can be traced," said Pratik Bhanushali, trustee and committee member, RAWW.

Official speak
Colonel (Retd) J C Khanna from BSPCA hospital said, "The bull was in a critical condition when it was brought to the hospital around 12 am. Despite administering lifesaving drugs and putting in our best efforts, the animal succumbed to internal injuries and multiple fractures. It died in the wee hours of Monday."