Wild bison storm Nilgiris tribal hamlet, six injured and three houses destroyed

A herd of Indian bison (gaur) triggered panic at a Toda tribal settlement near the Government Botanical Garden in Ooty , destroying three houses and injuring six residents after entering the village late Tuesday night, officials said.

The incident occurred at Garden Mound , a traditional settlement of the Toda tribe, a pastoral community native to the Nilgiri hills . According to witnesses, several bison surrounded the hamlet around midnight and charged into the residential area while bellowing loudly and running through the narrow cluster of homes .

In a rare and dramatic turn of events, two of the large wild bovines climbed onto the tiled roofs of houses. The structures, built using tiles and wooden planks typical of traditional Toda dwellings , could not bear the weight and collapsed, causing the animals to crash through the roofs into the houses.

The homes belonging to Nithish Kuttan, Surya Kuttan and Vivek Kuttan were completely demolished in the incident. Six occupants who were asleep at the time suffered minor injuries when roof tiles, wooden beams and debris fell on them .

The loud crashing sounds woke nearby residents, who quickly gathered and managed to drive the animals away from the settlement . The bison eventually exited the damaged houses through the front doors and retreated into the nearby forest.

All six injured persons were taken to the Ooty Government Headquarters Hospital , where they are undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, forest department officials have begun monitoring the herd’s movement and investigating how the animals entered the residential area .

Residents of the tribal hamlet have appealed to local authorities for assistance to rebuild the damaged houses following the frightening midnight encounter.