Owing to rampant construction across metros in India, from Mumbai to Bengaluru, Gurugram to Delhi, all in the pursuit of development, we humans have invaded an extremely fragile ecosystem and its inhabitants. When these displaced individuals wearily return to a place they once called home, they are treated like criminals. Voiceless animals are being stoned and subjected to lathi charges for crimes they never committed. Indeed, not even aware.

Cut to the present: Sainik Farms, a residential colony in South Delhi. The poor leopard’s fault was its tireless effort to return home. Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) sent alerts: “Do not step out. Keep your pets at home. The leopard may enter your homes.”

When was the last time a tired, hungry, and homeless human became a predator or a social menace? The frightened leopard just wanted to return home, not attack or devour humans.

Last we heard, the leopard, a healthy 4 to 5-year-old male, was brutally attacked by a mob of 400-500 men from Deoli village adjacent to Sainik Farms as it silently walked towards its home. Stones were hurled at him just when the Animal Welfare team, headed by Sushil Jain, had tranquilised the cat and were only 6 inches away. The mob attacked the rescue team because they wanted to kill the leopard.

At this point, the hungry, tired, and tranquilised leopard roared back, attacked the stone hurlers, and desperately ran. We humans may term it a leopard attack, but imagine this: You are quietly walking down towards your home, and someone hits you on the head from behind. Human instinct would be to hit back, not walk away. Why can’t we respect animal instinct? The leopard is on its way to recovery and should be in Asola forest by dawn, provided we humans don’t turn into demons. Yet again.