SHANGUS (ANANTNAG): At least eight joint teams of forest, police, paramilitary and military forces have intensified their hunt for a man-eater leopard which killed four children in south Kashmir in the past 15 days. A reward of Rs. 10,000 has also been announced to trace or kill the leopard that has made the lives of thousands of people in Shangus area miserable.

On tenterhooks

The leopard has put the forest as well the police department on tenterhooks for quiet sometime as public anger is also the rise. People in Shangus area of Anantnag district are living under constant fear as there seems to be no end to the problem. "We go inside our house before the sunset and do not dare to move out at all," said Shafqat Ahmed, a resident in Chattergul area where a child was mauled by the leopard. The residents are angry with the authorities alleging that no serious effort is being made to tackle the problem. "I do not think that they did something significant," says Ali Mohammad, whose nephew was killed by the animal.

However, the authorities say that all the elements of administration have been geared up and a massive hunt is on. Since the killing of leopards and the Himalayan Bear is banned in Jammu and Kashmir, a special order was issued to kill the leopard in question after it was found to be a man-eater. Even as the animal is still elusive, an angry mob stoned to death a leopard in Shopian area of Pulwama district. Earlier in November a bear was roasted alive in Tral by locals. The Government has not given up on the issue. Chief Wildlife Warden of Kashmir Farooq Geelani told The Hindu that eight teams have fanned out in search of the leopard, which was sighted twice last week. Mr. Geelani admits that the leopard has wrought havoc in Panchalthan, Chattergul, Pathribal and Sarbal areas. The department, he says, has also sought help from local hunters. Denying that the State Government is not making serious efforts, he says that the Wildlife Warden of South Kashmir has been camping in Panchalthan area for the last several days and monitoring the situation. Minister of State for Health and Power Peerzada Muhammad Hussain, who represents Shangus in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, says: "In view of this alarming situation, all the concerned agencies ... have been directed to trap the animal immediately."

Study planned

The Wildlife Department is also contemplating a study as to why the animals are frequenting residential areas. In the past one year, at least a dozen persons — mostly children — have been killed either by a black bear or a leopard and the people themselves have killed most of them.

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