A cow killed by leopard in Chowbattakhal after a woman was brutally killed on 10 th June. 2 maneaters still active in the area

Though a female maneater has been shot dead in Chamnaoon, Dabra village area in Chaubattakhal Tehsil, in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand on 10 th June by shooters hired by the forest department, after it brutally killed a 55 year old woman namely Godavari Devi of Dabra village while she was working in her agricultural field, there are reports of two more man eaters active in and around this area posing direct threat to peoples’ lives especially children n women who are the most vulnerable lot. Just this morning on Saturday a cow has been killed by a leopard. According to an eyewitness of Gram Sabha Chamnaoo, Dabra Vinod Raturi, the residents of the area are panicked as the two man eaters are still roaming around with inhabitants of several villages insecure. The residents have seen these man eaters roaming in the area prowling for human flesh. Today, the furious n angered inhabitants of Chimnaou village, Dabra Kolkhandi Sindiri, Bharat Kileush niulu villages have allegedly gheraod the forest police etc and registered their protest demanding immediate trapping of the man eaters either by tranquilizing them n capturing inside the iron cages or shooting them. The villagers have also send the photo of the dead cow and the maneater ( Guldaar) climbing the tree. Writing to the author Vinod Raturi said that two carnivores ( Guldaar) are quite active in the peripheries of villages : Dabra Kolkhandi, Bharatpur kileash niulu village side posing direct threat to the villagers. Today, the Kolkhandi village head and forest guards visited the site but the resented villagers gheraod them. There were several women as well in this group demanding security for the villagers.

It may be recalled that though wild life conservation and protection of endangered species like tigers, leopards etc is inevitable but human lives need to be saved at all costs, first. Unfortunately in Uttarakhand there have been hundreds of incidents of maneater attacks taking place for the last several years but the human wild life interactions are leading to human toll that include more women, children n sr citizens. The wild life n forest department is not proving to be a strong deterrent n the tragedies go on taking place unabatedly. The carnivores killing is no solution rather the forest department’s pro active vigilance, determination n commitment to stop these attacks by tranquilizing, catching the carnivores in iron cages to ensure adequate safety n security of the human beings is more important. In adition the govt shld suitably compensate the bereaved families by paying them handsomely and giving govt job to at least a member of the family forthwith, though it is also true that no amount of help will compansate the tragic loss suffered by the anguished n traumatised families. The wild life department should also be staffed well, there shouldn’t be shortage of equipments, tranquilizers, tranquilizer guns n other equipments including cages etc etc. The budget of the wild life and forest department should also be enhanced including recruitment of trained forest guards etc.
Sunil Negi, president, Uttarakhand Journalists Forum