The leopard that had killed a child in the Fulsani area on the outskirts of Dehradun has remained elusive with the four hunters deputed by the Forest Department not even being able to sight it in five days. Pug marks were spotted on Wednesday near the machan set up by the deputed hunters but due to the terrain being rough and covered in vegetation the pug marks are not very clear.
The department officials state that patrolling is being continued in the area and three animals have also been kept as bait to lure the leopard declared a man-eater. However, reduced visibility due to fog in the night would prove advantageous to the big cat, helping it elude the hunters.
It is pertinent to mention here that last week, 10-years-old Krishna was killed and his body partially consumed by a leopard at Fulsani. Hunters were deployed at the site on Saturday last to kill the big cat declared a man-eater. Initially, one goat was tethered near the machan as bait but the hunters were unable to spot the big cat when the goat went missing.
The partially eaten body of the goat was later discovered in the bushes some distance away. Residents of the area are living in fear of the man-eater and have also staged a protest outside the office of the Dehradun divisional forest officer.
The DFO has assured the residents that all possible steps are being taken to either trap or kill the man-eater. At present two goats and one dog are being used as bait to lure the big cat without much success. According to the Dehradun sub divisional officer, Gulvir Singh, pug marks of a leopard were sighted in the area on Wednesday. “As it is believed that leopards maintain their territory, the pug marks could be of the man-eater.
Plaster of Paris cast of the pug marks have been made but they are not very clear as the terrain is rough and covered by scattered vegetation. In the meanwhile, we are continuing patrolling in the area especially during the night while the deputed hunters are also lying in wait for the man-eater,” said the SDO.
It should be mentioned here that a leopard’s instincts and cunning make it difficult to either trap or kill. As has been seen in the past at the Forest Research Institute campus and elsewhere where leopard sightings have caused alarm, the big cat generally becomes more cautious or alters its movements after camera traps and cages are installed to capture it.