Local trust to buy and maintain the "Jallikattu" bulls

With the fate of bulls participating in Jallikattu (taming of the bull), hanging in balance following the ban by Supreme Court, a city-based trust has come forward to adopt and maintain them to prevent the breed from extinction.
The Vellingiri Goshala Trust has 160 such bulls from the villages in Madurai district, famous for Jallikattu and bulls, and bring here on February 15, Siva, Managing Trustee of the trust, told reporters here today.
Though the villagers were not willing to part with their bulls which were reared like a member of a family, the problem of maintaining the animals without Jallikatu made them to change their minds, Siva said.

While some villagers donated their bulls to the trust, others sold the animal for Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000, which originally cost between Rs one lakh to Rs three lakh, he said.
Stating that a team of 20 youths from Alanganallur, Ayyanapuram and Palamedu, popular for Jallikattu, have expressed their willingness to train and maintain the bulls, without any remuneration, Siva said the trust wanted to have at least 200 bulls in its Goshala.
The trust is already running a Goshala with 500 cattle, which were rescued while being smuggled to Kerala for meat,he said.