“What is the punishment for a tiger when he eats a cow? When a human being eats cow, he is punished,” said NCP MLA Churchill Alemao.

After the issue of tiger killings was discussed in the Goa Assembly on Wednesday, NCP MLA Churchill Alemao said tigers should be “punished” for eating cows when humans are punished for the same.

A tigress and three of her cubs were killed by five locals in Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary last month.

Churchill Alemao. File photo

The issue was raised by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat through a calling attention motion on the floor of the House during the Assembly session on Wednesday.

“What is the punishment for a tiger when he eats a cow? When a human being eats cow, he is punished,” he said.

As far as wildlife is concerned, tigers are important but as far as human beings are concerned, cows are important, Mr. Alemao said.

Responding to the calling attention motion, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said locals had killed the tigers as the wild cats had attacked their livestock.

A compensation would be paid within three or four days to farmers who have lost their cattle to animal attacks, he added.