Villagers of far-flung area of twin districts of Doda and Ramban have been in constant threat to their lives from ever increasing leopard attacks. The fear is so grave that people dare not venture out of their houses after 6.00 PM with the movement of children’s restricted to their houses for any sudden attack by the movements.
An attempt of leopard assails rapidly raising in far-flung village of Dessa an erstwhile area of district Ramban where people were forced to living under constant threat of leopard attacks.
A boy killed in leopard attack in Khilani in April 04, 2007, Ashok Raj (14), was attacked by a leopard in the compound of his house in Kote village of Doda in same year and six-year-old boy Liyaqat was attacked by the leopard near a hospital in Batote town of Doda, June 11, 2011, earlier a lady was also killed in a similar attack. On January 20, 2012 four persons, including three brothers, were injured when a leopard attacked them in Ramban, the leopard mauled them near their houses at Wanpora in Banihal area of the district.
Jai Lal of Dessa villager said “my dog was snatched previous night from its shed which situated inside my premises” disclosed while talking to Kashmir images on phone, life become difficult for us during nights and little children who have to gout for toilets as there was no toilet facilities were available inside homes as being backward and neglected village of Jammu and Kashmir, he added
Attacks on livestock is common resulted huge loses of poor farmers making their life more difficult, according to reports of recent past several incidents of attacks on human and livestock accrued when this deadly animals (Leopard) hunted several lives and livestock horse, cow, dog and sheep not only this but, attacks on human lives become biggest threat.
Given the sense of fear among the people, particularly among those living on the outskirts and rural areas of Ramban and Doda districts, where upgrade of the Wildlife Department in only a cruel joke could help make people feel secure.
The leopard scare in the areas under Doda and Ramban has brought into focus the immediate need to strengthen the Wildlife Department, which lacks adequate manpower and sophisticated equipment to effectively deal with the present and unforeseen recurrence of the situation.
It was shocking when Kashmir images learnt that wild life department goes wild against far-flung villagers of Dessa, when they freed leopards to natural habitants to protect increasing deforestation were over fifty thousand people living.
However, DDC Ramban rejected the point and said it’s just a rumor and have no relevance in it, he added
When we contacted to chief wild life conservator Jammu region, he said there is no panic like situation is their, no fear like situation, but it’s just a rumor, however, we have not received any complaints from local villagers.
As far as leopard is concerned they are present in all areas even in Jammu and attacking incidents are very less in number, he rejected any such fear among locals
While speaking to us District Development Commissioner (DDC) Shabir Ahmed said, yes there was some incidents were reported few months back in Batote and some other areas but its number decreased, however territorial DFO and other WLD officers provided crackers guns and other equipment’s to control their movements from living areas.
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