Kozhikode: Armed with a lineup of empanelled hunters and launching a pack of hunting dogs, Kodiyathur gram panchayat did a hunting drive, killing six wild boars from different areas in Thottumukkom, a village bordering Kozhikode and Malappuram on Sunday.

Recently, a 74-year-old retired teacher, Naduvathanil Christeena was attacked by a wild boar during the daytime, and she suffered multiple fractures and had to undergo surgery in a private hospital. This was the fifth incident recently that happened in the area in which people were attacked. Farmers have also complained of the destruction of crops.

The panchayat and the farmers roped in trained shooters and deployed dogs to track down the wild boars. Kodiyathur grama panchayat conducted the hunting drive, with the support of Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA). Eighteen shooters, including empanelled shooters from the neighbouring grama panchayats and licensed shooters from the shooters club under KIFA, were deployed. A total of 35 persons, including hunters and shooters were part of the drive.

"We started the drive in the morning and continued till evening, as the wild boars would be sleepy during the daytime. The hunters guided the dogs into the woods, they awakened the boars and once they started to come out of the bushes, the shooters shot them," said Shooters Club state coordinator George Joseph Kevalli.

The dogs are owned by Mullamada Abdurahman from Pannikkode, a neighbouring village. He trains the dogs for the hunting purpose, under the shooters club of KIFA. Shooters from neighbouring panchayats like Karassery, Kodenchery, Koodaranji, Thiruvambadi and Thamarassery were part of the hunting drive. "We shot four wild boars from Madambi and two from the Irunnakuzhi area. We can't plant anything anywhere. That's the situation now. Recently I lost more than 125 jackfruit saplings," said George Joseph.