Six shooters, three cages and a drone deployed but leopard remains elusive
Tuesday, 22 OCTOBER 2024 | PNS | NEW TEHRI
The Forest department has deployed six licensed shooters to kill a leopard declared a maneater in the Kot Mahar area of Bhilangana after three children were killed within a month by a big cat in the region.The departmental team in the area is also using a drone and camera traps in order to identify and trace the leopard responsible. However, the big cat has remained elusive and not been sighted yet by the shooters and departmental personnel. The local villagers are living in anxiety and seeking concrete action to resolve the issue.
A 13-year-old girl Sakshi was killed by a leopard at about 4:30 PM on October 19 in Kot Mahar village. The latest death of a child has worsened the fear among the locals. The locals state that they have been demanding action to either trap or shoot the leopard since the first incident in the area. However, the Forest department remained apathetic to the situation and the demand of the villagers at that time. The locals state that the negligence of the departmental officials has resulted in the death of three children within a month in the area. The villagers are afraid to venture outdoors, especially post afternoon for fear of the leopard. Considering the danger, the Education department announced a three-day leave in schools in the area reported to be frequented by the leopard. Forest ranger Ashish Nautiyal informed that teams of 10 members each along with six shooters have been deployed in the area to trace and kill the leopard. Apart from this, three cages have also been placed near the village to capture the big cat alive. However, despite the personnel deployed and camera traps installed, the leopard has not been sighted in the area. A drone is also being used in and around Mahar and Bhod villages to search for the big cat though the leopard has not been sighted so far. Nautiyal further informed that the local villagers have been alerted and told to observe basic precautions. The divisional forest officer Puneet Tomar has also been camping in Kot Mahar village for three days now, the ranger added.
