Dreaded leopard captured in iron cage without being tranquilized by forest department of Rishikesh
A team of forest department in coordination with the local villagers under the jurisdiction of Shyampur Nyay Panchayat have been able to catch a dreaded man eater without tranquilizing it who was a great threat to the domestic animals and local populace of this area in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand adjoining Rajaji National Park.
An environmental and social activist and member of district Ganga security committee Vinod Juglan informed the forest department officials n forest officer of Rishikesh M. S Rawat about the man eater having been trapped in an iron cage fixed by them at Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Nagar’s Khadri khadak Maaf gram Sabha (Ward) adjoining Rajaji National Park and at a distance of 11 kilometres from Rishikesh.
The iron cage was fixed by the forest department in the agriculture fields of Mrs Pitambari Devi Lasliyal at Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Nagar Rishikesh after the repeated complaints received by the forest department of the incessant terror of the man eater, posing direct threat to the lives of children, women and the senior citizens apart from domestic pets.
After the man eater leopard was trapped in the iron cage the forest department officials immediately turned up at the spot and covered the cage with a tarpaulin to avoid sensation in the curious public who had collected there in large number to have the glimpse of the man eater.
In the recent past the leopard had targetted several domestic animals and hens of the poultry farm with the life of human beings also at stake.
There had been several incidents of man eater kills in several parts of Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand with several children, women working in agricultural fields and senior citizens, even youths having been killed and grievously injured.
According to the Rishikesh forest ranger M. S. Rawat, till date, the forest department has been able to capture three man-eaters safely without being tranquilized who if not trapped could have been harmful to the human population as well.
According to the social and environmental activist Vinod Juglan – in view of the rapidly changing eco system of the nature, the carnivores and other wild animals are turning towards the human habitats in search of food, posing direct challenge n threat to human lives.
Not only this but they are also giving birth to their Cubs who after getting old, go out prowling for human flesh finding them their easy prey in the absence of domestic animals n other preys.
The increasing n massive migration of human beings to plains in search of job avenues, health facilities and quality education to their children, the villages are becoming vacant with no domestic animals existing as before amounting to humans becoming the easy preys of these carnivores.
There have also been several cases of pet dogs becoming the victims of leopards. In several cases the cows n buffaloes also become their prey.
The rescue team involved in trapping the three leopards one today n two other earlier were forest officer ( Van Daroga) Swayambar Dutt Kandpal, forest beat officer Rajesh Bahuguna, Jeetendra Rawat, Anil Rawat, Sanjay Rawat, Suraj Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Suresh Kumar, Sandeep Ranakoti, Dhyan Mundepi, Ram Swaroop, Shakar Gairola, Ganesh Biljwan, Akhil Bhandari etc.
Sunil Negi
