Kendrapara, April 2: In the latest outbreaks of man-animal conflict, an angry mob today lynched a striped hyena on the outskirts of the district headquarters township here while a wild boar was killed after it was trapped in an electrified fencing in a crop field near Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary.

“Cases have been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, in connection with both the incidents. Both species of animal enjoyed protected status as they were scheduled under the Wildlife Protection Act,” said Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division.

The hyena, a scavenging animal, might have strayed into the urban areas from its habitats. The local residents beat it to death as it had killed a goat last night near Mirpatana. Its body was retrieved and sent for autopsy today. As it is an offence to kill a protected animal, a case was lodged against the offenders, forest officials said.

In another incident, a wild boar was electrocuted as it came in contact with a livewire installed by a farmer to save his crops from being ravaged by these itinerant animals. The animal died instantly at the crop field at Krishnanagar village near the wildlife sanctuary, said Mahapatra.

Search is on to arrest the culprit who had surrounded the field with electrified fencing. As the charged wires endangered the human lives, the local police have also lodged a criminal case against the accused person.

Villages in and around the Bhitarkanika sanctuary often encounter man-crocodile conflicts. Reports of crocodiles killing people and retaliatory attack by humans often hog the spotlight.

In the recent past, wild boars are on rampage straying into human habitations. The animals ravage the cultivation fields, thus generating conflict.

“Stray animals trample and destroy paddy crops. We are helpless. We could cause no harm to them as the law states they are protected species. To protect the crop, some of the farmers have resorted to electrified fencing to ward off intruding animals. Their intention is not to kill animals”, said Madhav Manna, a former sarpanch of Dangmal gram panchayat.

Farmers from these parts have been persistently demanding for compensation for the damage caused by wild boars.

The Odisha forest department, which is empowered to dole out the compensation, has turned a blind eye to farmers’ demands.

The affected farmers are now demanding exclusion of wild boar from the scheduled list of the Wildlife Protection Act. Last year, the forest department had brought animal-infested corridors of the Bhitarkanika national park under the shock-inducing solar-powered fencing barriers. The solar fence with a pulsating flow of current, acts as a deterrent for the wild boars trying to intrude the forest border and enter villages. However, sizeable portions of villages on the sanctuary side are yet to get the solar fencing system.

As a result, animals such as boars and deer continue to strays into areas of human settlements vandalising the crop and vegetable fields.