Fox taken on procession as part of Pongal ritual defying Forest Dept ban

As per tradition, the villager’s caught a fox from jungle and brought it to the village temple in the morning. Villagers believe that seeing a fox, before the fresh harvest season, would bring good fortune.

The fox was placed on a palanquin and taken on a procession amidst cheers by villagers and children, who stood up in front of their houses. In the past, the mouth of the fox used to be gagged and its hind legs tied with a rope, before letting it off on the ground to be caught by men amidst a gathering of villagers. But this year, the villagers merely took the fox on a procession through the streets of Chinnamanaickenpalayam village. After the ritual, the fox was released in the jungles, from where it was caught.

Though Forest Department has banned the event, the villagers organised it defying the ban. Forest Department is holding an inquiry into the incident and is likely to book the organisers under Wildlife Protection Act.