Abdul Majid
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 24: A daylong drama over presence of "ghost" near the private residence of former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in Hyderpora area of Srinagar ended on Sunday night after Wildlife Department authorities caught a huge porcupine there.
Though the residents had earlier claimed that some "bear-like ghost" had been on prowl in the area, the mystery finally ended when the beast was spotted in the bushes in the area.
"Given the body structure of the animal nobody could ascertain if it was a bear or some ghost," said a local, adding that one of them instantly called the Saddar police station.
As a police team rushed to the spot, they contacted the Wildlife officials. In no time, an eight member team from Dachigam Wildlife Park led by Range Officer Shamas-ud-Din rushed in. Equipped with dart guns, traps and baits, the team caught the porcupine. "The hour-long operation has ended as we caught it. It's a big porcupine which the people had mistaken as a bear," Shamas told Early Times.
He said the animal is not found in the Valley but could have sneaked in through some truck travelling down the nearby Srinagar-Jammu highway.
"Such animals sneak into load carriers in area areas like Himachal and Punjab and land elsewhere," said Shamas, adding the porcupine, with over two feet long spines was weighing some six to seven kgs.
The animal was taken to Dachigam Park where it was set free on Monday morning.
Notably, on Sunday many Hyderpora residents had complained that they spent the previous night scared as some "bear- like ghost" was on prowl in the area. The attendance for pre-dawn prayers at local mosques had remained drastically thin with people avoiding to venture out of their homes.
The posh locality has witnessed frequent thefts in the past, and most of the cases remain unsolved, according to the locals. |
