Wild boar kills 70-year-old farmer

Surat: A 70-year-old farmer was killed by a wild boar on Thursday afternoon, near Bodhan village in Surat district. The deceased's body was found on his farm by locals, who alerted the forest department, suspecting it to be a leopard attack. A preliminary postmortem by doctors and forest officers revealed the man was killed by a wild boar.The forest department will pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased, in accord with legal provisions.Gambhirsinh Jadav's body, covered in blood, was found on his farm. Jadav had gone to water his field it is suspected he was attacked while trying to chase away the boar. "It initially appeared to be a leopard attack, but there were no bite marks and no leopard pugmarks. The injury marks and hoof prints matched a wild boar," said a forest official.From the wounds, doctors said the boar likely hit Jadav several times with its tusks and head. Most of the major wounds were below the waist, a pattern indicative of a wild boar attack. There were some few tusk injuries on Jadav's lower back, and it was suspected that the boar flung him into the air. When he fell, the animal injured him in the back and head as well. The severe injuries led to heavy bleeding and death.The body was sent for a postmortem and its report will reveal the exact details. The attack was suspected to have taken place between 1pm and 2pm.There was no fence around the field, which was open with no visible plants. Jadav was to grow sugarcane, his usual crop. His family members told forest officials that in the past, Jadav would chase away wild boar that damaged his crops. Wild boars are common in South Gujarat, and they damage crops such as vegetables and sugarcane.