The ‘cannibal’ leopard has killed 4 animals since December 10. (Avatar)
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Jharkhand Forest Department has placed more than 50 camera traps, a drone and a large number of officials but the ‘cannibal’ leopard, which has killed four children since December 10 in Palamu subdivision , remains unaccounted for, an official said Sunday.
Now, the department has mobilized famed hunter Nawab Shafath Ali Khan based in Hyderabad to take control of the big cat. It is suspected that all four people, including three in Garhwa and one in Latehar district, were killed by the same leopard. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 12 years old.
Leopards are terrorizing more than 50 villages in three neighborhoods – Ramkanda, Ranka and Bhandariya – of the district where villagers have been told by the forest department not to venture out after sunset.
Ravindra Prasad, a farmer in the Ramkanda block, said: “We lost sleep for many nights because of the fear of the leopard. Most of the women and children were scared. It looked like it was a curfew-like situation coming in. night”. The Garhwa Forestry Department submitted a proposal to the state’s Wildlife Protection Officer on Thursday to declare the big cat a cannibal, and it has also proposed the names of three hunters including Nawab Shafath Ali Khan and former lawmaker Girinath Singh.
State director for wildlife Sasikar Samanta told PTI: “There are some formal procedures to declare a species of man-eater. Our first priority is to capture the leopard under anesthesia. This is only possible by experts. Therefore, we consulted with Nawab Shafath Ali Khan to help in our endeavor. He is not only an expert but also an expert. also equipped with the latest equipment for animal identification and control.” Samanta, who is also the Director of Forest Conservation (Wildlife), says that Khan is expected to arrive in the first week of January. “If we can’t catch it, then we can think of killing the leopard as a last resort,” Samanta said.
Speaking to PTI, Khan confirmed that he was approached by state forestry officials. “I was asked to visit Jharkhand and help monitor and reassure the leopard. However, I have yet to receive any official dispatch on the matter,” he said.
More than 50 trap cameras have been installed following a possible route of the big cat in and around the village of Kushwaha, where a 12-year-old boy was killed by the animal on December 28.
“The trap cameras have captured various animals in the area but have yet to find a trace of the leopard. Besides the trap cameras, we are also using the drone camera but also not found any traces of leopards,” Shashi, Garhwa Division Forest Officer (DFO) Kumar told PTI.
He said they would change the location of the cameras on Sunday and make another attempt to trace it. “We have also ordered three cages from Meerut, which are likely to arrive on Sunday evening,” he said.
On December 10, the leopard made its first attack by killing a 12-year-old girl in the Chipadohar area of Barwadih block of nearby Latehar district. Then, a six-year-old girl was killed in Rodo village of Bhandariya block on December 14 in Garhwa district, while another six-year-old girl was killed by leopards in Sevadih village in Ranka block on December 19 with District. PTI SAN RG
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