Killing of a leopard in Hanspur Khatta in Terai-east forest division's Ransali range on October 13 has raised question over the handling of the case by the officials concerned of the aforesaid forest division.
Though an inquiry has been ordered by the Terai-east forest division into the incident and a case has been registered against some unknown people for their suspected complicity in the matter, no action has been taken against the officials concerned of the said forest division.
The officials concerned of the Terai- east forest division are of the view that since the case concerned involves man-animal conflict- half a dozen villagers were mauled by the leopard on October 13 morning- it was an emergency one under the wildlife rules. And in such an emergency case, the role of the officials concerned is not much, they opined.
Even if we proceed to tranquilise a leopard it takes 20 minutes to get the leopard unconscious, said Parag Madhukar Dhakate, DFO, Terai-east forest division, while talking to The Pioneer.
Now a case has been registered against the unknown persons and SDO, Sitarganj, is conducting an inquiry, he added.
However, the fact is that the officials concerned of the Terai-east forest division had enough time to take necessary steps to save the leopard from being killed as well as a few persons from being mauled by it.
The said leopard had attacked five persons from the Hanspur Khatta village around 5.30 am on October 13 and later attacked one more around 11 am in the same area.
The forest officials concerned had reached the spot and got the leopard caged. However, the leopard broke free after sometime. Subsequently, the agitated villagers attacked the leopard and it succumbed later to its injuries. lack of basic equipments like tranquilising gun was also a reason why the case could not have been handled the way it should have been. Had the Terai-east forest division been equipped with basic resources like tranquilising gun the leopard could have been tranquilised on time.