Bulls jam Ravi Talkies Square in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati.

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 16: One person was injured as a stray bull attacked him near Palasuni Square yesterday.

The injured, identified as 45-year-old Surendra Nath Parida, was rushed to Capital Hospital by the Mancheswar police around 10.30am yesterday. Parida, who is a businessman and hails from Salepur in Cuttack, was attacked by the bull on his way towards Rasulgarh Square.

Parida said the bull had attacked him from behind. “The bull attacked me with its horns. I sustained injuries in my leg and back. Had the pedestrians not shouted at the bull and come forward to my rescue, I would have been killed,” he said.

Passers-by had called the police, who rushed him to the hospital. Parida is reportedly recovering from injury.

Stray cattle and bulls have started ruling the capital roads. Recently, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation authorities had captured a stray bull that had become a menace for local residents. The authorities left it near Chandaka forest on the city outskirts.

The bull, captured from the Old Town area, had hurt many people in the locality and attacked many small-time business establishments. The local residents had brought the matter to the corporation’s notice.

Moreover, the traffic police said many road accidents in the city had taken place because of stray cattle and bulls.

“Every month, around 20 accidents take place in the city as vehicles run into stray cattle,” said a traffic police officer, adding that it was the corporation’s responsibility to check bovine movement.

In June, two youths were killed in a road accident as a bull came in front of their motorcycle and a bus coming from behind hit them. The riders had to suddenly stop the bike to avoid hitting the animal.

Despite repeated complaints against cattle menace, the municipal authorities seem apathetic about the issue. However, corporation officials said they had been picking up stray cattle and sending them to kine house. Cattle owners are made to pay a fine before they take back their cows and calves.

“We even instruct people not to allow their cattle on roads,” said an officer. Mayor A.N. Jena said the corporation was planning to make a separate kine house for bulls at Patia with the help of an NGO.