The death of a leopard in the Raipur area of Dehradun on Monday has once again highlighted the issue of the human-leopard conflict in the State. The leopard was found with a deep wound on its neck which is suspected of having been caused by a clutch wire snare.
The locals had first seen the leopard lying near the Dulhani river in Raipur area under Mussoorie forest division on Monday morning. The leopard had growled but was unable to stand on its own for long and collapsed back on the ground.
The injured big cat was taken to the veterinary hospital by Forest Department staff but could not be saved. Observers point out that clutch wire snares are often placed by people around farms in order to trap wild boar that raid farms.
The people use the snares not only to protect farmland but also to procure meat of the animal ensnared. However, it is not uncommon for leopards to be trapped by such snares. Only in some cases does departmental investigation result in legal action being taken against those guilty.
It should be noted here that expanding human settlements and depletion of its natural prey base in the forests push the leopards towards human settlements in search of easy prey. leopard sightings are common in many areas of Dehradun with the department placing cages in areas where leopard movement becomes dangerous for humans.