Uttarakhand Leopard on the Loose: 5-Year-Old Female Shot Dead After String of Attacks

Image Source: Internet

A five-year-old female leopard, responsible for the death of a 45-year-old villager and livestock, was put down by forest officials in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district. The big cat was tracked using camera traps, pug marks, and drone surveillance before being shot by sharpshooter Joy Hukil. The incident occurred near Gajald village in the Satyakhal area, where the leopard had been terrorizing residents for over a week. Forest officials said that the leopard was linked to multiple attacks, including the killing of a villager earlier this week. Pauri divisional forest officer (DFO) Abhimanyu Singh confirmed that the leopard was the same one responsible for the December 4 attack on Rajendra Nautiyal in Gajald village. The forest department has deployed teams in the affected areas, including Gajald and neighboring villages, to ensure the situation stabilizes. In Phoolansain village, a dedicated tranquillising team has been deployed after villagers reported tiger sightings, while residents of Siroli village have been frightened by multiple leopard sightings. District magistrate Swati S Bhadauria has intensified round-the-clock monitoring across all leopard-affected areas and is providing fodder to villagers to prevent them from venturing into high-risk forest zones. Forest teams across the district are equipped with advanced equipment, including fox lights, ANIDER devices, drones, and tranquilliser guns, in areas such as Pokhra, Rikhnikhal, Jaiharikhal, Thalisain, Yamkeshwar, Pabo, Kot, and Duggada.