Man eater trapped in the forest department’s iron cage at Village Kathur, Kot block, Pauri Garhwal who injured three persons on Monday
A man eater leopard who had grievously injured three persons of village Kathur in patti Sithonsiun of Kot Block, Pauri Garhwal a biggest village in the developmental block has been caught in an iron cage placed by the forest department Nagdev range, thus relieving the terrorised villagers and those living in surrounding villages as well.
This man eater may not be earlier, had come to village Kathur on Monday evening in search of food and tried to grab some goats. Hungry, leopard ( Guldaar) lost no opportunity to pounce upon one of the goats. Seeing this the wife of the village head tried hard to relieve the injured goat from the clutches of the leopard.
Facing stiff resistance the carnivore leaving the goat pounced on the woman compelling her nephew to come in between, who too was injured. In all three persons became the victim of the man eater who had no option but to leave the scene amid shouts and stiff resistence of the victims.
Immediately, the inhabitants of the village gathered and ferried the injured to Pauri town hospital where they are being treated currently. In the hospital too the staff which was non cooperative initially finally relented. There was tremendous commotion and terror in the village. Finally the forest department placed a scrubber ( net) at vital points in the village periphery thinking of the man eater returning back in search of the left out meat, ( Goat) etc. It is usually said that these carnivores after their first attack turn back to the hunting place later on. Not only this but these carnivores stay in their fixed periphery on prowl for human flesh or other targets like pet animals etc.
After the fixation of the iron cage fortunately the man eater got trapped and villagers heaving a great sigh of relief. It may be recalled that incidents of man eater attacks have become order of the day in Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand. During the past months a 7 year old was dragged to the near by bushes from a residential compound in Rudraprayag n killed brutally including a women killed by man eater at Pabo block where the villagers of Saplodi and other nearby villages burning a live man- eater caged ( rescued) by the forest employees. Cases against 150 people have been registered. Similarly in Chowbattakhal area, Rikhnikhal , Kaljikhaland Maletha areas several women have been targetted injured and brutally killed by man eaters.
Last year young men were killed in Devprayag and Kaljikhal areas where the decomposed dead bodies was found after several days. In view of the increasing construction activities, incessant deforestation under the garb of development, construction of highways, underground railways networking, noise pollution due to excessive tourists pouring in and extensive jungle fires etc the flora and fauna has been damaged and destroyed with carnivores, animals being disturbed on acount of loss of food n peace, finally turning towards villages and road heads making human being their easy targets finding no clue of domestic animals in villages as a result of massive exodus to cities, towns and metropolises.
The rescued leopard brought to Pauri will be send to zoo or at distant jungles far away from the present periphery.
