Maharashtra: Bull Shark was provoked by villagers, claims Wildlife Warden

The slain bull shark with its dead pups

A week following the event involving a person severely injured by a bull shark in Vaitarna Creek, the Honorary Wildlife Warden (HWW) has claimed that the shark was agitated by individuals. The Warden has urged the forest department to launch an investigation and file charges accordingly.

The Warden, Vaishali Chavan alleged that the Bull Shark was provoked by some villagers on the day Hitesh Govari was injured. Chavan had written a letter to the forest department authorities in Palghar district demanding an investigation into the case as she felt that it was a case of animal cruelty too.

"The day when the villager was injured in the bull shark bite, some of the local villagers had provoked the shark. There are several videos in which it can be heard in the background that they are trying to provoke the poor creature.

Some of the villagers even made bunds on one section of the river basin/creek so that the bull shark doesn't swim back into the river," Chavan said.

"It was saddening that the shark that was pregnant was killed in the most inhumane way. The forest department needs to carry out a proper investigation and take appropriate action against those responsible so that a strong message goes out and no one tries to harm any innocent creature," she added.

The Warden also met the local forest department official and Deputy Conservator of Forest and requested them to investigate and at least register a case of animal cruelty.

A forest department official said, "We've received correspondence from the Honorary Wildlife Warden (HWW), claiming that the bull shark incident involving a villager in Vaitarna Creek may have been provoked by villagers earlier that day. The HWW provided videos for our investigation into the matter."