Officials ask Vikhroli residents to not feed fox

Mumbai: In a bid to tackle fox attack around Vikhroli, the forest department and the mangrove cell held an awareness session, asking the locals to not feed the animal. A survey conducted in the area where the fox attacked the watchman, revealed that the locals and the watchman used to feed the animal on a regular basis.

On May 1 at around 8.30pm, a wild fox had bit the watchman Rajesh Shukla near Godrej in Vikhroli. The fox had attacked the watchman when he had tried to prevent it from entering the locality. According to the forest department, this was the first instance of fox attack in the city of Mumbai.

According to the range forest officer of Thane Forest Department Santosh Kank, the fox came to the locality because Mr Shukla used to feed the animal due to which the it made routine visits to the area. The mangrove cell found out that the animal had come from the dense mangrove patch around the area.

Both the departments have conducted a reece in the area and have advised the locals to alert them in the case of the animal is spotted again. Meanwhile, they have also asked the watchman to not feed the animal.

Mr Shukla in his statement had said that he had picked up a stone and threw it at the animal. Mr Shukla was bitten severely and fled into the bushes. A few police constables, who were present at the spot, had rushed him to the hospital. Though, the forest department and police officials have conducted searches in the bushes; they have not been able to find the animal. However, a few residents had claimed they spotted the animal post the incident. The forest department, however, is positive that the fox won’t be spotted in the area again.