Cages have been placed and patrolling intensified in the Raiwala area following a leopard attacks on three children of whom one was killed in this month. Forest department officials believed that an old male leopard injured in a territorial fight could be behind these attacks.
According to the Rajaji National Park field director SP Subudhi, a leopard had first attacked and injured a child in the Raiwala area adjoining the national park on March 6. This was followed by another attack on a child who was injured on March 9 after which a total of three cages were placed in the areas where the attacks took place.A leopard was caught in one of the cages on March 23 and released by department staff along with villagers in the jungles of Beribada range.
“However, on March 27, a child was fatally attacked in this area. We have stepped up patrolling in the area and appeal the people to install lights outside their homes because the darkness attracts wildlife so installing lights would deter the wildlife from venturing close to the homes. We have also deployed four villagers on daily wages to assist the department staff maintain a vigil in the Prateet Nagar area, Raiwala. We suspect that an old male leopard could have been injured in a fight with another leopard and it is this injured leopard which is targeting children as it has been rendered incapable of hunting its natural prey due to the injury. We hope to cage the big cat and send it to a zoo in the State,” he added.