The villagers across the mountainous districts in Garhwal region are living under the shadow of fear with leopards remaining on the prowl, often straying into the human habitations. They said the leopards keep getting into their villages. They kill domestic cattle and even attack and maul the villagers.
One was killed by a leopard in the village Chaama Baada under Yekeshwar block in Pauri on Wednesday night. Accordingly, the forest department requested to chief wildlife warden to declare the leopard a man eater.
The 47-year-old Satendra lal, resident of village Chaama, went to meet the gram pradhan on Wednesday evening when the leopard attacked him. But as he did not return the following morning his daughter Sonia went to the gram pradha’s residence to enquire. Search began and the half-devoured body was found in the agricultural field of Kadigadd tok.
Divisional forest officer Garhwal division Raj Mani Pandey said the chief wildlife warden has not consented to the proposal of declaring the leopard a man-eater.