Fear and panic have spread across the rural areas of Boniyar and Uri Tehsils of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district after several leopards have been spotted in the areas.
Locals from Boniyar told The Kashmiriyat that the presence of leopards can be felt in every village, which has left the residents terrified. “We are scared to go out of our houses even during the daytime. The animal seems to be everywhere.”
Videos shared by locals from the area show a leopard standing in the middle of a busy road during the evening time.
Fear in Uri: wild animal suspected to be leopard killed 12 year old Rutba in Bernate last night. On Sunday, Shahid, 12 (Trikanjan) and a day before Muneer, 15 (Kalsan) were mauled to death by wild animals. Can wildlife team be sent to tackle this. @DCBaramulla @BaramullaPolice pic.twitter.com/FD0suW4CvR
— Mufti Islah (@islahmufti) June 14, 2022
The residents of the bordering Uri have been terrified after three consecutive leopard attacks were reported from Kalsan, Trikanjan and Burnate villages of sub-division Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, which also forced the local administration to swing into action. They have ordered the posting of shooters around the cluster of villagers, where the leopard has been tracked.
A Six-year-old girl child’s death in an urban pocket, after a leap of leopard, mauled and mutilated her body in Batangee Boniyar North Kashmir’s Baramulla, on Tuesday evoked protests from locals against the wildlife department.
The mutilated body of Rutba Manzoor Bhat, who had been taken a leopard in presence of her mother and sister, was recovered after locals search in a nursery in Batangi forests.
Earlier, two teenagers, Shahid Ganie of Trikanjan Boniyar and Amir Muneer of Kalsan were killed by a leopard in the last three days in the area.
Soon after the back-to-back report in Boniyar and Uri tehsils, the district administration issued an advisory to the wildlife department to shoot the animal once spotted.
An official speaking to The Kashmiriyat said that the Department has issued an advisory and are concerned about developments regarding the incident.
“We have deputed five teams of shooters who will try catching the animals and if they cannot they have been permitted to shoot down the man-eaters. We have advised people especially in the affected belts to not let their children out of their houses till the situation is tackled,” the official said.