About 25 cows died after eating banana stalks in Untawant village of the Jalgaon district on Thursday night, while 153 cattle received prompt care from nearly 150 veterinarians.
Sources said that cattle owned by nomadic grazers entered the field where the banana trees were cut for new growth. After eating the residual trunk, the cattle began behaving strangely and some even collapsed.
“The banana crop requires plenty of urea and after cutting the plant, the globules come to the surface. The sweet-sour taste appeals to cattle,” said Kisgaon veterianary officer Dr Nitin Sonawane. “The cattle were given an antidote of vinegar and later put on drips. This helped give relief to their bloated stomachs. A team from Nashik took the samples and results are awaited,” he added.
Fortunately, a district meeting of veterinarians was being held in Jalgaon, about 40 km from Untawant village. Someone immediately called the office and the entire veterinary staff arrived to the village within an hour. The first to reach was the taluka veterinary officer Javed Tadvi with his team of 26 veterinarians.
The veterinarians then set to work and promptly administered treatment. This helped save the 153 other cows that were affected. The treatment continued late into the night.
The dead cattle was buried near the village to avoid poisoning. No case has been registered, either by the cattle owner or the farmer whose farm was plundered.