Municipality authorities in Bolpur are literally taking bulls and cows by the horn on roads.

Civic authorities have hired two persons to go out and rein in stray cows from local thoroughfares after a string of minor accidents thanks to bovine loiterers in the area.

The cows, who have rightful owners and are supposed to be tied or contained, are reportedly “detained” by the two catchers and kept at a cowshed in Kashipur, Bolpur, for 10 days or till the time they are claimed by their owners.

“The fine will be Rs 3,000 each. We have already detained nine cows so far,” said a cow catcher.

“There are at least 300 more in the area roaming aimlessly and grazing on non-pastoral land. They also get into fights on the street, which is dangerous for bikes,” said Parna Ghosh, the chairperson of the board of administrators of Bolpur municipality, explaining the move to depute catchers was prompted by a series of minor accidents reported by two-wheelers. “But we don’t know what to do with cows whose owners are not traced.”

The problem with stray cows is not new here. Sources said at least 300 stray cows are seen regularly on Visva-Bharati campus and on roads of Santiniketan adjacent to the Pous Mela grounds.

In July 2012, Visva-Bharati had gone for a public awareness campaign asking owners of the animals to take them back from the campus.

“We made several fences to stop cows from entering campus. The only open ground was the Pous Mela ground where a boundary wall was also put up,” said a varsity official.

Municipality sources said that the number of cows seemed to be increasing by the day and most grazed by day and took rest on the roads at night.

“Earlier, the Pous Mela ground was open and the cows used to stay at night there. Now with the boundary wall put up, most animals have taken shelter on the road. It is now a daily routine to receive complaints regarding the cows,” said an official in Bolpur municipality, adding cows also grazed on roads inside the campus.

Civic body authorities said cow catchers have been asked to try trapping the cows in groups of at least five.