The human-leopard conflict continuing unabated is leaving the people of the most of the hill districts of Garhwal region panicky. Over the last fortnight, several such conflict cases have come to fore in Chamoli, Tehri, Rudraprayag and Pauri districts. They are on the rise, to the anguish of the forest department and the people.
Pauri is one of the mountainous districts of the region where leopards are again on the prowl, triggering panic around. In the span of forty days, leopards killed two persons, including a woman, and seriously injured one woman and a minor boy. They killed and devoured a few domestic animals in Pauri district too.
The leopard attacked an 11- year- boy Rohan, resident of Beena Malla of Pokhra block in Chaubattakhal Tehsil on Monday when Rohan was playing cricket half a kilometer away from his village with friends. With the ball having gone to a nearby bush, Rohan went to collect it and it was at that time that a leopard hidden in the bush pounced on him and mauled him on his neck.
The villagers and Chatra Panchayat members took him to a primary hospital at Pokhra. later, he was referred to joint hospital Kotdwar. According the Kotdwar Government Joint Hospital, he is now out of danger. The villagers of the Beena Malla demanded cages be installed in the village to trap the leopard.
Previously, on 18 April, a leopard attacked a woman Chandni Devi (45) in a village Beena under Pokhra block, when she was working in a cow shelter. After she screamed the beast left her after mauling her. The victim was admitted at primary health centre Pokhra, from where she was referred to Kotdwar Government Joint hospital.
The first incident occurred in the village Naugaon under Kot block where the animal killed one Sulochana Devi on 29 March. It was followed by another that happened on 8 April when one Satendra lal from Chaama Badda of Yamkeshwar block (47) was killed. On 18 April, a leopard attacked and mauled a woman Chandni Devi. With such incidents being on the rise, the people of many villages in the district are scary, looking up to the administration to protect them from the prying beasts.