GUWAHATI, July 7 ? The man-animal conflict that has assumed alarming proportions in the State of late, claimed yet another victim today in the form of a leopard that was killed by the public after it strayed into a residential area in the city and attacked three persons. The injured have been admitted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. The condition of Tilok Chauhan (22) who was first attacked by the leopard, is said to be critical. The other two injured are Bapan Das (20) and an elderly Nepali lady. All the three persons hail from Shankar Nagar on the fringe of the Narakasur hills from where the leopard had come down in the morning.
The leopard descended from the Narakasur hills around 6-30 in the morning and attacked Chauhan who was out attending to nature?s call. The incident created panic in the locality and led to a commotion. Then it attacked and injured the other two persons. Following this, the irate public thrashed the leopard with sticks and other weapons, killing it on the spot. The leopard was a male around seven years of age, Assam State Zoo DFO Narayan Mahanta said. It measured 1.70 metre in length and was 57 cm in height. It weighed 28 kg.
The incident has once again brought to focus the intensifying man-animal conflict right in the heart of the city. Guwahati has over a dozen reserve forests and a wildlife sanctuary in its vicinity but rapid shrinkage of habitat caused by human interference has denuded much of the green cover of these forests. This, coupled with the dwindling prey base of the carnivores, has put the animals, especially the leopards, in a very tight spot. It may be mentioned that leopards straying into residential areas in the city has been a very common phenomenon for the past few years. While a number of leopards have been captured, several have died in the hands of humans.
The situation is fast deteriorating and unless the Forest Department ensures preservation of the existing forests, the time is not far when the city jungles will lose this majestic cat forever.