KVASU gets new VC; 2nd appointment in a month
K.S. Anil has been appointed as ViceChancellor (VC) of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) at Pookode in Wayanad. Dr. Anil is a Professor at the Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur.
His appointment follows the resignation of P.C. Saseendran, who had assumed charge as VC of KVASU earlier this month. His resignation was accepted by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday. Dr. Saseendran had stepped down from the position after Mr. Khan (who is the Chancellor) cancelled the ViceChancellor’s contentious order to reinstate 33 students of the institution who had been suspended in connection with the alleged murder of secondyear student Sidharthan J.S. last month. The student was found hanging in the bathroom of the college hostel on February 18.
Several wild elephant attacks were reported on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in various parts of Idukki district. According to local people, wild elephant attacks were reported in Sinkukandam and the first tribal panchayat in Edamalakkudy. Tuskers were also seen at Devikulam and Neriamangalam on Wednesday.
According to local people, a wild tusker, locally known as Chakkakompan, attacked a house at Sinkukandam, near Chinnakkanal, around 4 a.m. on Wednesday and the family escaped narrowly.
The wall and ceiling of the house of Koonammakkal Manoj Mathew, a resident of Sinkukandam, was destroyed in the attack. CCTV visuals showed the tusker attacking the house.
RRT monitoring
Devikulam Range Officer P.V. Vegi confirmed that tusker Chakkakompan had attacked the house at Sinkukandam. “Rapid Response Team (RRT) is monitoring the movements of the animal,” he said.
Another wild tusker, locally know as Padayappa, entered a tea plantation estate workers’ layams (cluster homes) near the factory division in Devikulam on
Tuesday night. A RRT team chased away the tusker to a nearby eucalyptus plantation.
In another incident, a herd of wild elephants destroyed a provision shop of the Girijan tribal society at Societykudy in Edamalakkudy on Tuesday evening. According to local people, the herd destroyed the shop around 7.30 p.m. and ate the food items stored inside.
The elephants also tried to attack a ration shop, but tribespeople from nearby settlements rushed to the spot and chased away the herd to the forest.
Leopard attack
Meanwhile, on Tuesday at Kadukumudy, near Thalayar, a leopard allegedly killed a cow, according to local people. The leopard had killed 5 cows in the area during the past several months, alleged the local people. They demanded that the Forest department take immediate steps to prevent the leopard attack.
A senior forest official said that the department would provide compensation to the owner of the cow.
Compensation
“The Forest department has already distributed compensation to the dairy farmers whose cows were killed till December 2023. The department will provide the compensation to the others soon,” said the official.